Intemptesta Nox
by MeeLee
Summary: -DISCONT'D- Usui Horokeu's life has just hit rock bottom, and he despairs. Yet when he catches the attention of a mysterious stranger, he soon finds himself spiraling down into a dark underworld he never knew existed. RenHoro, some HaoYoh and MarcoLyserg.
1. I

**A/N: **Well, I'm back with another one. XD This is probably my first AU attempt in any fandom, though most definitely not the last. Hurray for SK being the basis of all my firsts!

RenHoro for the most part, as well as HaoYoh, MarcoLyserg and FaustEliza on the side. The story at this moment is about halfway complete on my computer, and has been that way for the last several months. I'm trying to get back into it; I figured if I posted it somewhere, I might give myself motivation to continue.

Please note, kids, that this story will eventually contain **explicit yaoi content.** That means, in no fancy terms, male/male sex. If this sort of thing is offensive to you, please find something else to read. I won't tolerate flames on this account.

Please also take note that in this story, Horohoro goes by his full name, Usui Horokeu. I found it more fitting for the story, for some obscure reason.

Oh yes, and before I forget: this story is also posted on my recently-debuted fanfiction website, Eden Evolution. The version on that site will be slightly different from the FFN one, as it will contain the NC-17 stuff (which will be cut from this version, as per FFN regulations). If you would like to see the new site and/or contribute to it, the link is in my author profile.

Can you tell that I really like vampires?

See y'all at my next update. In the meantime, enjoy the debut.

* * *

**Intemptesta Nox**

"_Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win."_ _Stephen King_

* * *

**BEGIN **

"You're…firing me?"

Stiff-necked Ebisawa Gihei frowned. "That's a little harsh, Horokeu," he said. "I told all of you that lay-offs were imminent, and I need room for Hashimoto-san."

Twenty-three-year-old Usui Horokeu had to swallow hard in order to keep his voie from trembling. "I don't understand," he said. "Why Hashimoto-san and not me?"

"Horokeu," said Ebisawa, slowly adjusting his glasses, "Hashimoto-san has a Master's in library science and four years of experience. You, on the other hand, are a failed law student who came to me two years ago with no money in your pockets and nowhere else to go."

"But I learned, didn't I?" Horokeu pressed. "Please, Ebisawa-san, I've been working for you for two years without complaint. I've been faithful and diligent—you can't fire me."

Ebisawa sighed. "I'm very sorry, Horokeu," he said.

Slowly Horokeu lowered his head, allowing his light blue hair to fall in front of his black eyes. "I can't lose this job," he whispered. "Pilika and I hardly have enough as it is. If I lose this job…we won't be able to recover."

For a long moment Ebisawa said nothing, only looking down at the desperate young man before him, knowing that Horokeu was telling the truth. Horokeu and his little sister Pilika's parents had died in an accident several years ago while the older Ainu had still been in college studying law. The passing of his parents had hit him hard; his grades had plummeted and he had ended up dropping out. Now he lived with his sister in a small, run-down apartment where they hardly had enough to eat, much less any surplus money. Ebisawa had only seen Pilika once in his lifetime, a young, pale-skinned girl just blossoming into womanhood. When Ebisawa had last seen her, she had been studying to become a nurse while at the same time working part-time as a waitress to help her brother make ends meet. He had no idea how she was now.

Straightening, Ebisawa gently placed a hand on Horokeu's trembling shoulder. "Don't give up hope," he said. "There are bound to be a lot of other opportunities for a bright young man like you. Perhaps you'll even find a better job that pays more."

When Horokeu looked up, his face was set though his midnight-black eyes shone with what Ebisawa strongly suspected were tears. "Thank you, Ebisawa-san," Horokeu said, speaking slowly and backing up. "It was nice working with you." Turning, he walked out the door of the small library.

Ebisawa sighed as he watched the young Ainu slowly make his way down the tall steps. Horokeu was a good kid; it was unfair that he had to go through this, but the modern economy was ruthless. He decided that he would try to forget this over a cup of coffee.

* * *

Twenty-one-year-old Usui Pilika looked up and smiled as the door opened. "Hi, Oniichan," she said. "How was your day?"

Horokeu sighed, turning away from his sister to avoid meeting her eyes. "It was…fine," he said. As he spoke, he glanced quickly around their small apartment, decorated with ornaments from their parents' house and some second-hand furniture.

The smile faded a bit from Pilika's face. "Is something wrong?" she asked, coming up to him and touching his shoulder, forcing him to turn around and look at her.

Horokeu tried to smile but did not quite make it. "No," he said. "Just…you know, work."

"What happened at work?" Pilika asked.

"Well…" Horokeu swallowed. "You see…Ebisawa-san, he…" He allowed his voice to trail off.

"What?" Pilika said. "He what? Oniichan, tell me."

Horokeu fought back his tears as he spoke. "He…He f…" Then his courage failed, and he finished quickly, "He feels like I've been working too hard, and he says I deserve a break, so I won't be going back for a while."

Pilika frowned. "How long is a while?"

"I…I don't know," Horokeu said. "A week or two…"

"A week or two?" the younger Ainu repeated. "But do you get paid during your vacation?"

"Uh, yeah, sure I do," Horokeu said. "No worries, Pilika. Really." Turning, he headed for his bedroom.

"Wait—Oniichan, where are you going?" Pilika cried.

"To sleep," came her brother's reply. The door closed behind him, and Pilika frowned before heading for the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Once inside the safety of his bedroom, Horokeu instantly sank down against the wall, shivering with something that was not cold. He stared blankly at the floorboards for a moment, remembering what Ebisawa had told him. Opportunities? If there had been other opportunities, Horokeu would have left the library a long time ago. The truth of the matter was that Horokeu had been backed into a corner years ago and had not gotten around to getting himself out yet. He and Pilika had been living in this apartment for about three years, and though his sister never complained, Horokeu knew that secretly she hoped for a better life. As her brother, he felt that he carried the responsibility of granting her wish, and these past few years he had worked exceedingly hard in order to keep Pilika in school so that she could achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. It pained him whenever he passed by the local restaurant and saw Pilika inside serving drinks at the bar; she deserved so much better than this.

Horokeu sighed, shivering again and rubbing his arms in a futile attempt to banish the cold that was now seeping into his bones. As an Ainu he was used to low temperatures, but this was no ordinary cold; this cold reeked of guilt and failure. He should have told Pilika that he had been fired, but he did not have the heart to see her sad frown or her eyes glistening with unspilt tears.

Very slowly he rose, opened the door, and made his way down the hall. When he passed by the kitchen, his sister's voice came to him. "Where are you going?"

"Out," Horokeu answered. "For a walk." Not bothering with a jacket, he stepped outside into the chilly autumn air. The sidewalk was empty, and as the Ainu picked his way down the street, kicking aside the garbage that littered the concrete, he found himself looking up at the stars that were just starting to blanket the sky, darkened from the setting sun.

_Otousama…Okaasama…if you're up there, your son needs your help…_

A light at the very corner of his eye caught his attention and, turning, he blinked when he realized that he had arrived in front of the city's local pub. Why his feet had taken him here, he did not know; Horokeu had never been inside a bar his entire life. They were violent, foul-smelling places full of drunks and stupid pickup lines, yet this night, Horokeu felt that he was ready to try anything to make himself feel better and so he turned, carefully pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

Instantly he was bombarded by a barrage of sights and smells. The scent of alcohol hung heavily in the air, as did the odor of smoke. The light from the bare bulbs on the ceiling was harsh and Horokeu blinked, allowing his eyes time to adjust so that he could see the oily tables set rudely against the walls, the smudged windows, the stools scattered haphazardly at the wet bar. The air was filled with voices, some drunken and some not, but he ignored them as he made his way slowly to the bar and took a seat, waiting for the bartender to notice him. Had he cared to look more carefully around him, he might have seen a single dark figure sitting alone in the farthest corner of the room, watching him curiously with slitted golden eyes.

The bartender turned and slowly approached the Ainu. "What can I get ya?" he asked, his voice low and rough.

Horokeu sighed. "S…Something strong."

The bartender nodded slowly, fetching a glass and pouring a thick dark liquid inside. "Rough day?"

"Quite." Horokeu took the glass with an appreciative nod and took a gentle sip. The substance was indeed strong; it bit his lips and burned his tongue so that he nearly choked.

The bartender laughed at the Ainu's reaction. "Bit too strong there, mister?"

"N-No." Horokeu took a long swig, feeling the liquid burn all the way down his throat. It hurt, but he needed this pain. "Fetch me another," he said, emptying the glass. The bartender shrugged and obeyed.

Three hours had passed, and most of the customers had left. The bartender was busy wiping down the counter when he heard the familiar call. "Ey…mister?"

He turned with a sigh to the blue-haired man seated at the far end of the counter. Several empty glasses lay before him, and he was clutching another one in his hand. The bartender walked slowly over to him. "Listen, pal," he said, "You want another one, you gotta pay for it, but as I recall, you ain't got no more money."

"Eh?" The Ainu slowly searched his pockets, dipping his hands uncoordinatedly in and out of his pockets. The bartender slowly shook his head as he watched his customer's actions. He was completely drunk, his eyes bloodshot and squinting to see, his head sunken beneath his shoulders. "I wa' sure…there was a somethin'…" His speech was so slurred that the bartender had trouble understanding him.

The bartender sighed. "Go on home, sir," he said. "You've had a long night." He turned. "I'll call a policeman to escort you." He took one step forward but was stopped when the Ainu grabbed his arm.

"Wait," he said, his head bobbing slowly up and down. "W…ait. I sure I got a somethin'…you wait a sec there, doc…"

The bartender frowned. "Hey, pal, you're drunker than a skunk and you got no money. Scoot on out of here."

"Wait," his customer pleaded, grabbing something from his neck and holding it up to the light. The bartender blinked; it was a necklace, a thick teardrop-shaped diamond set on a silver chain. "This 'ere," the Ainu said, grinning wide, "It belong…belonged…belonging…to my mom."

The bartender's eyes gleamed when he saw the light reflecting off of the diamond. "It's very nice," he said slowly.

"Mm." The Ainu nodded slowly, his head almost hitting the table. "'Ow many drinks I get for this, mister? 'Ow many?"

"Well," the bartender said, hardly able to conceal his smile, "I guess I could manage another glass for you."

"Awesome," his customer said, and then he giggled. "Pretty…ain't it? My mom was…pretty, she was too. My li'l sis, she got my mom's eyes. My li'l sis, damn. If she wa'nt my brother, I mean if I wa'nt her sister, I'da screw 'er…"

The bartender laughed, reaching down, fetching another glass, and filling it up. "Here you go, sir," he said, and then held out his hand, palm open.

"Yeah, yeah, 'ere _you_ go, mister," the Ainu answered slowly, but just as he was about to drop the necklace into the bartender's waiting hand, someone seized his wrist. Both men looked up, one surprised and the other simply groggy, to see a stranger standing beside the drunken Ainu, his hand closed firmly around the other man's wrist. He was rather pale, and the bartender remembered him easily because of his eyes: golden with slitted pupils like those of a cat. He faintly recalled this man coming in earlier that night, sitting down in one corner of the pub, and not moving since then.

The Ainu opened his mouth to say something, but the new stranger interrupted him. "You don't want to give something like that away," he said. His voice was smooth and silky.

"Why not?" the drunken man answered. "S'mine, ain't it?" He tried to pull his arm back, but the stranger refused to loosen his grip on his arm. "Ey, leggo, mister!"

Instead, the stranger forced his hand still clutching the necklace back against his neck while at the same time gripping his shoulder with his other hand and hauling the Ainu to his feet. Pulling the man to him so that his head was resting against his shoulder, the golden-eyed stranger then turned to the bartender, reaching into his pocket and setting two hundred-dollar bills onto the counter. "This'll cover it," he said to the stunned bartender, before his eyes narrowed. "I would not suggest you take such advantage of your customers in the future."

Not waiting for an answer, he turned and steered the drunken Ainu toward the door.

* * *

The cold night air suddenly blasting on him shocked Usui Horokeu like a bucket of water in the face, and he blinked, shivering. "Where…what…"

"Come," the stranger said, and lifting his head, Horokeu got his first good look at him, his golden eyes glowing in the dim light and purple hair tapering into a spike at the top of his head.

"Wha…Who're you?" the Ainu asked, his voice still slurred.

"That is not your concern," the stranger said, wrapping an arm around Horokeu and allowing him to lean against him as they began walking down the street. "Tell me your name."

"H-Horokeu…Usui Horokeu."

The stranger nodded. "Where do you live, Horokeu?"

"Jus'…er…down th'street 'ere, mister."

"Very well," the stranger answered. "Come."

"Where're you takin' me?" Horokeu asked, leaning heavily on the stranger's arm for support.

"To your home, where else?" the stranger answered as they walked slowly along the sidewalk. There was silence for a moment before the stranger spoke again. "Why did you come to the pub, Horokeu?"

"Eh…?" Horokeu blinked. "Uh…oh…'cause I'da losted m'job, mister." He laughed suddenly. "I really aren't much'a drinker. Don' like bars."

"Hm," the stranger said. "What was your job before?"

"Uh…" Horokeu had to think for a moment before he remembered. "Bookstore…no, library. Y'know, th'place with all the books an' papers an' stuff?"

The stranger nodded. "Yes, I know," he said with an amused smile. He was about to ask another question when the Ainu suddenly seized his arm, pointing into the darkness.

"There," he said. "There. Righ' there."

The stranger glanced briefly up at the apartment building. "Is this where you live?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," Horokeu said, nodding eagerly like a child. "Tha's th'place."

"All right." The stranger led—or rather, dragged the Ainu slowly up the stairs to his front door. Here he allowed Horokeu to lean against the doorframe as he searched the Ainu's pockets until he found the keys. Unlocking the door and opening it, they stepped into the darkness inside.

"You said you had a sister," the stranger said as he closed the door quietly behind them. "Where is she right now?"

"Huh? Oh, Pilika? She sleep early weekdays 'cause she 'as t'get up early for work. Y'know, waitress down at th'rest'rant. Damn cute skirt." And he giggled.

"Hm." The stranger pulled the Ainu to him again. "Where is your room?"

"Down th'hall."

The stranger nodded and slowly they walked into Horokeu's bedroom, and here the stranger left him in the middle of the room. Confused, the Ainu cocked his ears and heard the door close and the lock slide shut. An instant later he felt the stranger close again, and took a moment to realize that his shirt was being unbuttoned.

"Eh…whatcha doin' there, mister?"

"Undressing you," the stranger answered. "Hold still."

"Why you doin' that?" Horokeu asked. "Ya gonna rape me or somethin'?"

He saw the stranger smile in the half-darkness, golden eyes glinting with amusement. "No, my dear Horokeu," he said, removing the Ainu's shirt, followed by his undershirt. "I would never do that."

"Then why're you takin' my clothes off?" asked Horokeu, shivering slightly when the cold air of the room bit into his exposed skin.

The stranger did not reply, undoing the Ainu's belt next and pulling his pants off, leaving him in only his boxers. He then took Horokeu's hand and guided him to the bed, throwing the covers aside and gently lowering the Ainu onto the mattress before covering him again. "Sleep now, Horokeu," he said. "Everything will be better tomorrow."

"Mm…what's your name again?" Horokeu muttered, his eyes sliding shut.

The stranger smiled. "As I said, that is of no concern to you," he said, and then, bending closer, he whispered, "I will be back, Horokeu." The Ainu gave no reply, having fallen asleep, and a heartbeat later the stranger was gone.


	2. II

**A/N: **I know, it's been a while. It's not that I forgot this story; I was simply reluctant to update it because the manuscript is as of yet still only half-finished. I'm scared that I'll end up posting everything I have, and then I'll be forced to either put the story on indefinite hold or discontinue it altogether. Thus, the sporadic updates. Advance warning for you people: don't expect another update for the next few months.

With that said, I rather like this chapter. You don't have to think too much to figure out who the mysterious stranger is, right?

Bleh, finals are approaching. See y'all at the next update.

**_INTEMPTESTA NOX: _CHAPTER II**

The morning sunlight streaming in through the window finally brought Usui Horokeu out of his deep slumber. Groaning slightly, he opened his eyes—and immediately turned away from the bright sunlight, wincing at the sting from the illumination. He slid to the edge of his bed, blinking several times to allow his vision to adjust so that he could read the clock sitting on the bedstand.

It was noon.

Rubbing his eyes, Horokeu slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position—and was instantly overwhelmed by a wave of nausea. He was barely able to make it over the edge of his bed before every meal he had ever eaten in his life came spilling out of his stomach and onto the floor. He continued to wretch for a good ten minutes, clutching his sore stomach, and when he finally finished he groaned at the huge mess he had made on the floor. If Pilika found out about what had happened…

Wait. What exactly _had_ happened?

Horokeu shook his head slowly. The events of the previous night were nothing more than a blur of images—bright lights, a flash of silver, and then a pair of gleaming golden cat eyes. Horokeu groaned as his stomach twisted in on itself and he immediately stumbled into the bathroom so that he could continue vomiting into the toilet. The air soon contained the suspicious scent of alcohol—how much had he drunken last night anyway?

Wiping his mouth, Horokeu managed to drag himself up to the bathroom mirror, and that was when he noticed that he was wearing nothing but his boxers. The discovery surprised him as he usually slept in a T-shirt and sweats. Who had brought him home last night? And, more importantly, who had undressed him _without his consent?_

"Shit." Quickly Horokeu ducked back over to the toilet as the urge to vomit took over once again. He had experienced hangovers before, but never to this extent. He did not want to think about how drunk he had gotten the previous night.

A few minutes later he managed to fetch an old mop to clean up the mess on the bedroom floor without getting sick again, and by the time he got down to the kitchen and made himself a sandwich to eat, he was feeling a little better though his head was still pounding. Three full glasses of water and whatever other fluids he could find in the refridgerator took care of that problem, and by the time Usui Pilika got home from her shift at the restaurant, Horokeu was feeling well enough to give her a warm greeting.

"How was work, Pilika?" he asked as she walked in the door.

"Same as always," his sister answered, pulling the name tag off of her shirt.

Horokeu cocked an eyebrow. "Your boss hitting on you again?"

Pilika rolled her eyes. "He doesn't know when to quit," she said. "Honestly, Oniichan, can't you do something about it?"

The older Ainu only shrugged as he continued flipping through the newspaper. "He's your boss, so he's your responsibility," he said simply.

"Whatever." Pilika yawned. "I'm gonna go to bed early; it's been a long day. Can you manage dinner by yourself?"

"Sure."

"Night, Oniichan."

"Night." Horokeu sighed as he watched his sister enter her bedroom and close the door. He did not know how long he could keep up this façade with her, yet still he did not want to tell her that he had been fired. It would hit Pilika hard, and the last thing they needed right now was for her to lose her job as well.

Sighing again, he tossed aside the newspaper and began looking for leftovers in the refridgerator.

* * *

Three hours after sunset found Usui Horokeu finally trudging into his bedroom, barely able to walk straight because of the pounding in his head. After dinner he had thought it harmless to pop a can of beer, and now the headache from his hangover that morning had returned with a vengeance. Grumbling to himself, the Ainu made his way into the bathroom and took a cold shower before changing into fresh clothes and getting into bed.

He was usually inattentive to small details and so he did not notice that his bedroom window was open just a crack. In fact, he was unaware that he was not alone in the room until a soft voice spoke up.

"Good evening, Horokeu."

The Ainu, on the verge of falling asleep, was jolted half awake, blinking groggily in the darkness. "What…?"

"I gave you a greeting. It is only proper that you return it."

He spun, peering into the darkness, and nearly cried out in surprise when he saw two golden eyes staring right back at him. Instantly he gasped, scrambling backward against the bedstand, clutching his blanket. "Who the hell're you?"

He saw the two eyes shift as the stranger cocked his head in amusement. "That's hardly the welcome I expected, Horokeu."

"How'd you get in here?" Horokeu's voice was high and panicked. "G-Get out or I'll call the police! I'll—" He was stopped when a cold hand clapped over his mouth, and suddenly the two gleaming golden eyes were mere inches away from his face. Quickly Horokeu jerked his body in an attempt to free himself, but the stranger merely gripped his shoulders firmly, pushing him down so that he now lay on his back with the newcomer's weight pressing down on him. Horokeu shivered at the icy feeling of the stranger's skin on his own; the intruder was as cold as death.

Not liking the position that he was in, the Ainu struggled furiously, writhing in panic beneath the stranger, but he simply saw the two golden eyes gleam with laughter before another ice-cold hand was placed on his forehead, covering his eyes so that he was instantly engulfed in darkness. Horokeu was about to struggle, but suddenly a wave of new feeling washed over him: a feeling of cold, but not the kind of cold that instilled fear, but rather a soothing, comforting cold, as if he was sitting outside the family hut back in Hokkaido, allowing the cool breeze to twist and dance around him. Almost on instinct his body relaxed and he felt the fear leak out of his mind like air out of a balloon.

A moment later, he heard the stranger's voice again, soft, mesmerizing. "I do not recommend you make so much noise," he whispered, lifting his hand from Horokeu's eyes, his lips seeming to be right beside the Ainu's ear. "It might awaken your sister." He shifted so that Horokeu could clearly see his golden eyes giving him a questioning look; when the Ainu at last nodded, the hand covering his mouth was released.

Instantly Horokeu took a deep breath of the chilly night air, watching as the pair of golden eyes once again retreated into the opposite corner of the room. Slowly the Ainu propped himself up to a sitting position, watching the stranger. He found that he was no longer afraid; more like curious. A moment of silence passed before Horokeu finally broke the quiet.

"I remember you," he said, speaking softly.

The stranger once again cocked his head. "Do you?"

The Ainu nodded. "You brought me home last night," he said.

"Indeed," the stranger answered, sounding pleased. "And I also said that I would be back, didn't I? And I have kept my promise."

"Yes." Horokeu allowed his eyes to drop down to his hands still holding on to his blanket. "But…why exactly are you here?"

He saw the two golden eyes blink once in the darkness. "Why, to make certain that you are well, of course," the stranger said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Oh." Horokeu managed a small, uncertain smile. "Well, I'm feeling fine now, thanks."

"That is good."

Silence descended in the room and, looking up, Horokeu saw those slitted eyes still staring at him. "Um…excuse me…?"

"Yes?" came the immediate answer.

"Aren't you going to leave?" Horokeu asked.

Again the stranger blinked. "Would you like me to?"

"No."

"Then I shall remain."

Another long moment of silence passed before it was once again broken, this time not by Horokeu but by the stranger himself. "Speak," he said, his voice soft in the dark room.

The Ainu blinked. "What?"

"Speak," the stranger repeated. "Tell me about yourself, your friends, your family. Let me know more about you."

"Well…" Horokeu almost considered refusing, but something about the stranger's eyes told him that it would be safe—perhaps even comforting—to tell him. "Um…what do you want to know?"

"Anything," the stranger answered. "Perhaps you can start with your childhood. Tell me about your parents, your home. Just speak. I want to know more about you."

"All right," Horokeu said. "I'm Ainu and I was born in Hokkaido. My family moved to the city when I was fourteen and so I went to high school and then college here. My freshman year of college, my parents died in an accident and I got depressed and dropped out." Inwardly, he was surprised at how easily he said this; normally he could not talk about his parents without feeling the urge to cry, not even with Pilika.

Very slowly, the stranger nodded. "More," he whispered. "Tell me more."

And so Horokeu told him everything. His mother, his father, his little sister. His aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and the rest of his extended family in Hokkaido. The friends he had grown up with in his native village; the friends he had made after he had moved to the city. Everything, everyone—it all came tumbling out of him like a waterfall. He could not understand why he did this, why he related his life history so willingly to a complete stranger, but he was comfortable with it. He had hardly known this mysterious man for more than a few hours, but already he felt as if he had known him for years, and as he spoke, it was like conversing with an old friend, and so he told him everything.

He switched avenues of thought and was about to start on another subject when the stranger interrupted. "Enough," he said, his voice strong. "That is enough for tonight."

Horokeu obediently stopped, but the sudden silence that blanketed the room made him uncomfortable and he felt the sudden urge to start again, yet he was afraid that if he tried to continue, the stranger would become angry—and for some reason he did not want that to happen. "I…" He blinked. "I, uh…"

"Don't worry, Horokeu," the stranger said, and he saw the two golden eyes shift as the stranger rose from the sitting position he had been in for the last few hours, listening to the Ainu talk. "You have done well," he said, coming over to stand by the bed.

"Um…" Horokeu stared up at the stranger, mesmerized by his eyes. "Th-Thank you…"

The stranger reached down then, and Horokeu felt the cold hand once again make contact with his skin as his visitor gently stroked his cheek. Instantly he felt himself relax at the touch, feeling that comfortable cold seeping through him once again, and his breath hissed out of his lungs in one soothing exhalation as he grew completely calm.

When the stranger spoke, Horokeu could almost see him smile had his eyes not been closed. "You have done very well, my dear Horokeu," he said, his voice swirling around the Ainu like a breeze. "I am very pleased." He bent closer then; Horokeu could feel it, and whispered into his ear, "I shall return tomorrow night, Horokeu. Be ready for me."

"But…" Horokeu reached up, wrapping his fingers around the wrist of the hand touching his cheek as he opened his eyes and stared into the golden orbs of his visitor. "C-Can't you stay? I…I like when you're near me."

The golden eyes shifted as the stranger shook his head. "I am sorry, Horokeu," he said, "but there is business that I must attend to. Rest now. You have served me well, and will be duly rewarded." With that, the hand caressing the Ainu's cheek moved to cover his eyes, and suddenly darkness overcame Horokeu. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

* * *

Usui Horokeu was awakened the next morning by his sister's excited cries. "Oniichan!" she cried, throwing open the door to his bedroom and running up to the bed, shaking him awake. "Oniichan, you won't believe what just arrived in the mail!"

"Mm…not now, Pilika…" Horokeu mumbled, turning and snuggling deeper into the sheets.

"No!" Pilika insisted. "You're coming _now!_" Grabbing the blanket, she tore it off of her brother before grabbing his ankles and literally dragging him out of the bed and down the hallway.

"Pilika—ouch!—Pilika, the floor's hard—ow, my head—_Pilika!_" Horokeu angrily kicked his sister away, struggling to his feet and rubbing his forehead. "Just what do you think you're doing anyway?"

The younger Ainu was far too excited to be hurt. "C'mon, I'll show you!" she cried, grabbing her brother's wrist and pulling him eagerly down the hall. "You won't believe it!"

As they passed the kitchen, Horokeu glanced over long enough to glimpse the clock. Instantly he groaned. "Pilika, it's barely seven in the morning!" he protested. "Can't it wait till later?"

"No!" his sister replied. "Besides, I have to leave for work in ten minutes, so I have to show you now!"

Reaching the front door, she released her brother and skipped lightly over to a small box lying on the floor. It was still half-open from Pilika's earlier exploration, but she picked it up nevertheless and shoved it at her brother. "Open it!" she chirped like an eager child on Christmas morning.

Horokeu rolled his eyes. "You're so immature, Pili—holy shit." His eyes widened as he pulled out two large velvet boxes, both open. Inside one lay a thick diamond necklace set in gold, and the other contained a diamond-and-silver watch, both with their respective proofs and papers. Mouth slightly open in shock, Horokeu quickly snapped the lids shut and peered carefully at the box itself. The label simply read, "Usui-san," with no sender.

"Pilika," he breathed, peering at the velvet cases again, "These have got to be worth at least ten thousand dollars."

"I _know_," Pilika said, clapping her hands in excitement. "Do you know who sent it to us, Oniichan?"

"I have no…" Horokeu allowed his voice to trail off.

_You have served me well, and will be duly rewarded._

The younger Ainu blinked at the sudden look of familiarity in her brother's eyes. "Oniichan?" she said. "You know who it is?"

"Y-Yes…" Horokeu's voice was uncertain, yet at the same time content. "He's a…friend. Someone who—who's decided to help us out."

"Really?" Pilika clapped her hands excitedly. "That's so wonderful! What's his name?"

"I…" Horokeu scratched his head. "I don't know."

Pilika's smile faded a little. "What do you mean?" she asked, blinking curiously.

"Uh…" Horokeu shrugged. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He jerked his head briefly in the direction of the clock in the kitchen. "You should get going or you'll be late."

"Yeah," Pilika agreed, grabbing her purse off of the kitchen table. "I'm just glad our luck's turning around for a change." She gave her brother a quick peck on the cheek before heading for the door. "Bye, Oniichan!"

Horokeu did not reply, standing in the middle of the room, holding the box. Only when the front door had closed behind his sister did he finally move, taking a step backward and sinking into the nearest chair, staring down at the box in his hands. Only one thought ran through his head.

_Is this for real?_


	3. III

**A/N: **So after putting off updates on this for yet another few months, I figured it wouldn't do much harm to post another chapter. Still no further progress on the manuscript itself though. We might actually be looking at an indefinite postponement…

But on to brighter things. The contents of this chapter, for example. This chapter does contain explicit m/m sex, except in accordance with FFN regulations, I cut the smut out. The original chapter, complete with the NC-17 content, can be found posted on my newly revamped ficjournal on LJ at http / maxw3llsmage . livejournal . com / 2268 . html (without the spaces, of course). There'll be another note when the lemon actually comes up. Normally I'd have the smut posted on Eden Evolution, but the website has recently crashed for reasons unknown (I think our host went berserk) so I'm moving it to my LJ.

With that said, on to the story! Don't you guys love uke!Horo? Heh. It's not done _nearly_ enough.

**_INTEMPTESTA NOX: _CHAPTER III**

The stranger returned the next night, and the next, and the next, and every night he asked Horokeu to tell him about a different thing. One night it would be his education, another the books he had read, and another his old job. And still the mysterious anonymous gifts arrived punctually every day on the doorstep, always courteously addressed to "Usui-san." Thick wads of hundred-dollar bills, crystal figurines, gold jewelry, everything Pilika and Horokeu had ever wished for came up onto their doorstep. Within a couple of weeks, Pilika was able to quit her job and devote her full time to her studies, while Horokeu stayed at home, waiting only for the sun to go down so that he could get to bed and wait for his mysterious visitor to come talk with him again.

Though his visitor only spent several hours a night with him, already Horokeu's life was ruled by him. He dreamt of him when he slept, and woke up with the need to see his intoxicating golden eyes again. He dragged himself through the entire day thinking about nothing but the stranger, wondering what he would ask him next, and though he would never openly admit it, Horokeu had become obsessed with his midnight visitor, up to the point where he found himself wanting him, craving him, lusting for him.

Falling in love with him.

It was at the end of the first month that Usui Horokeu lay still in his bed, eyes wide open, waiting once again for that familiar voice to come floating up out of the darkness. Sure enough, the silence was abruptly broken.

"Good evening, Horokeu."

Instantly the Ainu turned, shooting straight up in bed and peering eagerly toward the corner of the room into those two fascinating golden eyes. "Hello," he said shyly.

The stranger smiled and began as he always did. "I trust you are feeling well tonight?"

Horokeu nodded eagerly. "Always." He lowered his head a little, blushing slightly. "I mean, when you're around. Y-You know…"

"Yes," the stranger said. "I have been told that I have that effect on others."

Horokeu smiled a little. "I'm glad you're here."

"As am I, Horokeu," the stranger answered, speaking slowly. "As am I." He paused for a moment before speaking. "Tonight, I would like you to tell me—"

"Wait," the Ainu interrupted, and the stranger stopped. Silence descended in the room, and in the darkness Horokeu could see his visitor staring at him, whether in surprise or anger, he did not know. He had never dared to interrupt his visitor before, and it took him a moment to gather his courage enough to make his request. "I…could you come closer to me?"

The stranger cocked his head curiously. "Why?" he asked, his voice soft, and Horokeu knew that he was not angry.

"I…" Horokeu swallowed, suddenly feeling very shy. "I want to…feel you." The stranger had not touched him since that first night, and he had found himself longing more and more for the soothing cold feeling.

The golden eyes blinked once before the stranger smiled slowly. "You desire me."

Instantly Horokeu blushed. "I-I…uh, that's n-not…"

"Ah, but you do," the stranger said, rising slowly. "I can sense it in you, Horokeu. You do, don't you?"

Horokeu swallowed hard. "Y-Yes…yes, I do." He looked up, but saw that the corner the stranger had been standing in was empty. Immediately he panicked, afraid that his visitor had left him, but then he felt someone's arms snaking around him, wrapping him in cold and darkness, the feeling that he now loved. Instantly he sighed, leaning into his visitor, resting his head in the crook of the stranger's neck. One icy hand slowly came up to stroke his cheek.

"Horokeu…" came the hypnotic voice. "My dear, sweet Horokeu…" The hand pressed to the side of his face, and Horokeu started when he felt warmth emanating from it. He turned, wrapping his arms around his visitor, and found to his pleasant surprise that the stranger was now as warm as he was. How he had done this, Horokeu did not know, but neither did he really care at that moment. They were together, they were close, and that was all he wanted.

No. It was not _all_ he wanted.

Turning his head, he slowly drew his hands back so that they were resting on the stranger's hips. Getting no response, he slowly slid his hands upward, past his visitor's arms and shoulders, up to cup his face. He felt the lean muscle move beneath him as the stranger smiled, peering down at him with amusement in his eyes. Horokeu leaned upward then, and gently brushed a set of warm, soft lips with his own.

Almost instantly he withdrew, blushing deep red, trembling slightly as he waited for the stranger's reaction. His visitor shifted slightly, taking Horokeu's chin in his hand and tilting the Ainu's face upward so that they made eye contact once again, and in the dim moonlight he saw a dark tongue flick out to gently lick the lips he had kissed. Then the stranger spoke.

"Wonderful," he whispered, and before Horokeu could say anything he was gripped by the shoulders and brought forward, feeling his visitor's lips on his own.

**( I AM SMUT SO I'VE BEEN CUT! You can find me at MeeLee's LJ here -- http // maxw3llsmage . livejournal . com / 2268 . html -- make sure you are of legal age to read NC-17 material!)**

It took a moment before anyone spoke. "Th-That was incredible," Horokeu whispered, gasping for breath.

"Indeed." Already the stranger's voice had returned to its original smooth, steady tone, and he spoke with the same evenness as before any of this had happened. "You intrigue me, Horokeu."

The Ainu blushed before finally saying, "I hope we didn't wake Pilika…"

"Don't worry," his visitor said, gently pushing the Ainu's blue hair out of his eyes. "Your sister still sleeps." He paused and, looking over, Horokeu saw the golden eyes once again seeming to smile at him. "You are very beautiful, my Horokeu," the stranger said.

Horokeu felt the heat rush once again to his cheeks, and when he answered, his voice was barely more than a whisper. "I love you," he said, "And yet…I don't even know your name."

The stranger rose slowly to a sitting position and placed a hand, now once again ice-cold, over the Ainu's eyes. "From this point on, my lovely Horokeu," he whispered, "You will call me your Master." And darkness overwhelmed the Ainu.

* * *

And so the weeks ticked by, and still Usui Horokeu constantly pined for and indulged in his newfound lover. The gifts continued arriving each day and indeed increased in value so that soon both Ainu found that they had more money than they knew what to do with.

Pilika was overjoyed, but Horokeu himself was too infatuated with his lover to pay much attention to their new wealth. What had before been an obsession had now become a critical part of his life, so vital that he could not have lived without seeing his midnight visitor every night, if not to make love then to simply sit and talk of trivial things. Yet even after having known the stranger for so long, still Horokeu had never gotten a close glimpse of him other than his two intoxicating golden eyes—he had a vague impression from the night when he had gotten drunk, but it was fleeting and dark, no more than a mere shadow in his mind. Indeed, though they had become frequent lovers, he knew almost nothing of the stranger's body, for always he was underneath, and the stranger never undressed.

And always, Horokeu called him Master.

It was not long before this need to see his Master in the light, to know more of him—his name, his appearance, his home, his occupation that obliged him to disappear before the sunrise—became a new sacred obsession of Horokeu's. The nightly walks he always liked to take began to have more and more purpose so that he found himself exploring new routes every day, peering into corners and through windows to see if he could find some hint of his mysterious visitor. Of course, his excursions did not go unnoticed, and it was not long before the stranger brought the subject up before him.

"You search for me now," he said one night as Horokeu lay panting beside him. "Every night you take a different path, and you make inquiries. Why?"

"I…I want to see you, Master," Horokeu answered, still flushed from their lovemaking only moments before. He was, strangely, not surprised by the fact that his visitor knew about his search. "I want to know you."

"I don't understand," his Master said, his breathing even and steady. "You have me here every night; I haven't faltered. Isn't that enough?"

"No, Master," Horokeu whispered, burying his face in his Master's cold neck. "Because I don't know anything about you."

His Master rose a bit so that he could look straight into the Ainu's eyes. "Lovely Horokeu," he whispered, reaching out to stroke the Ainu's cheek, "I come to you every night, and I send you wonderful gifts. Doesn't that satisfy you?"

Horokeu nodded quickly. "Yes, Master, of course it does," he said. "But…But that doesn't change the fact that I don't know your name, or your family or friends, or what you do for a living. And I want to know."

"Hm." His visitor sighed, and rising to a sitting position he placed his hand in that familiar fashion over the Ainu's eyes. "Let me tell you now, my Horokeu," he said, "that were you to make too much inquiry into my life, it would bring you danger indeed." He paused, and Horokeu thought he felt the hand tremble slightly. "If not anything else, remember this," his visitor whispered, voice soft. "Here in the safety of your home, I can protect you. But outside in the open darkness…even I cannot tell what will happen." And with that, the cold seeped into him and the Ainu fell asleep.


	4. IV

**A/N: **Um, yeah. Four months for this one. I'm surprised no one has yelled at me yet...

Once again, this chapter contains some explicit sexual stuff, so go to http / maxw3llsmage . livejournal . com / 6912 . html (no spaces) if you want to see the uncensored version.

Also, I am pleased to introduce the HaoYoh and FaustEliza dynamic in this chapter. I am also...less than pleased to introduce some badly-written LysergHoro (but only for a short time, don't worry--HoroRen will always be my SK OTP), and some not-so-decent RenHoro. My smut-writing skills today are very lacking indeed, and I can only say they were worse two years ago. Bleh.

I'm starting to really fear that this story will never be finished. I'll let you all know, of course, if I decide to discontinue it.

**(Edit 7/17/07) Wow, I'm stupid; I posted the chapter without editing out the smut. Heh. It's all taken care of now!**

**_INTEMPTESTA NOX: _CHAPTER IV**

It was an hour after sunset when Usui Horokeu pulled on a light jacket and stepped outside, closing the front door behind him. His breath crystallized in the air before his face, but he did not mind the cold as he walked slowly down the stairs, hands shoved in his pockets, glancing up at the stars that were just starting to wink on in the night sky above.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs and turned onto the sidewalk, his Master's words from the previous night came slowly back to him, as if from a dream.

_Even I cannot tell what will happen…_

Horokeu shook his head as he continued to walk. His Master was just trying to scare him, that was all. There was nothing out here that was threatening; it was a quiet town with hardly any action, so he had nothing to be afraid of. Really.

Still, even as Horokeu walked slowly down the sidewalk, he could not ignore the small feeling of guilt that nagged at the back of his mind, guilt that he had disobeyed his Master's wishes. Clearly his Master did not wish for him to go out on these searches, but the truth was that Horokeu had reached the point where he must know more about his mysterious visitor or die trying. He could stand the mystery, the questions, the secrecy no longer, and so he walked, peering into the dark alleyways and the long shadows created by the streetlamps.

A slight movement at the very edge of his peripheral vision caught his attention, and Horokeu turned just in time to see something dark slip into a nearby alleyway. He barely got a glimpse of a tall human figure, face and body completely shadowed save for the eyes—glowing in the dark, like a cat's eyes, like his Master's eyes. Without hesitating he spun and raced off after it, leaping over garbage cans and loose trash as he pursued the fleeting shadow. His heart was pounding in his chest; could this be a clue as to the whereabouts of his Master? Could this—

The damp brick wall opened suddenly before him, and Horokeu brought himself to a quick stop, breathing hard. He turned a full, wide circle, searching the cracked asphault and the concrete walls, but could see nothing but trash, grime and mold. The shadow was gone.

Almost involuntarily Horokeu heaved a sigh of disappointment. It had probably been a cat, or some other animal that he had once again mistaken for something more and had gone chasing like a madman. He shook his head slowly. Why did his mind automatically associate anything dark and mysterious with his visitor? Why didn't he just go through public records, phone books, places where the light was plentiful and he was bound to find more information? Why did he always get the feeling that doing such things would prove useless?

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he did not hear the soft hiss, but the sudden chill that ran through his body was too much to ignore. Suddenly aware of another _presence_ above him, he instantly looked up, just in time to see _something_, a dark mass crouched on the wall above him like a spider, peering down at him with gleaming eyes.

For an instant Horokeu was unable to move, paralyzed with something more than fear, but then instinct set in and he turned to flee. Just then, however, the shadow detached itself from the wall, falling freely toward the Ainu, and Horokeu's scream was cut off as he suddenly felt a heavy weight fall onto his back, forcing him roughly onto the ground. Instantly he turned, expecting to struggle against the great weight, but found instead that the _thing_ was almost impossibly light, no more than a feather upon his chest so that he was able to spin onto his back easily. But there was no mistaking that there was something on top of him, for he found himself staring into a pair of glittering green eyes set in a ghastly pale face, and Horokeu cried out in surprise when he saw the dark lips open, revealing a set of pearly white teeth equipped with abnormally long canines.

Before the Ainu could do anything, though, the _thing_ seized him by the shoulders, forcing him against the ground and bending over him, and an instant later Horokeu gasped at the sharp stinging pain as the _thing_ sank its fangs into his neck, and suddenly it seemed that he lost track of the time, for the entire world seemed to spin, the stars to dip and to chase the sun and the moon endlessly around and around in a dreamy circle. His world shrank suddenly to a single point unto a blinking light, like a beacon beckoning to him through the darkness that was now closing in around him, and as Horokeu watched breathlessly, helplessly, the light slowly darkened from bright white to a dull dark red, then to silver, then to dark gray, until suddenly it winked out altogether.

* * *

It was the heat that finally brought Horokeu out of his deep slumber, and he shuddered and blinked his eyes slowly open. For a moment his vision was a myriad of blurred, hopeless images—a flash of yellow, dark velvet red, black—then suddenly green, emerald green that filled his vision. Horokeu blinked as his vision slowly but surely focused, still fuzzy on the edges but clear enough for him to realize that he was staring into a pair of eyes that were looking right back at him. 

The rest of the dark room was nothing more than a dim blur, but even as Horokeu opened his mouth to speak, a wave of fresh heat washed up from between his legs, sending sparks through his nerves, and he had barely registered how he had truly been awakened when this new stranger spoke.

"You are Usui Horokeu, I presume?" he asked. Horokeu did not recognize his voice, and indeed he spoke Japanese with a distinct accent, though the Ainu did not know where the accent had originated. In fact, it seemed he had never met this person before, for he had light green hair to match his eyes, and was dressed in a style not popular in Japan.

Still, there was something about this person, some feeling, some _aura_, that somehow reminded Horokeu of his Master, and so he spoke slowly, attempting to steady his breathing that was now hitching with every erotic caress the new stranger was giving him. "Are you…ahh…m-my Master?" he whispered, arching involuntarily into the green-haired man's expert hand.

He was surprised when the stranger gave a low laugh before wrapping his fingers firmly around Horokeu's half-aroused member, smiling when the Ainu moaned in appreciation. "No, Horokeu," he said. "Though now that I see how truly beautiful you are, I rather wish I was." He bent closer, pressing his thumb firmly against the head, causing Horokeu to shudder with pleasure. "You may call me Lyserg," he said, so close to Horokeu that the Ainu could feel his breath blasting in his face. "Lyserg Diethyl, if you prefer the formalities."

"L-Lyserg…" Horokeu was finding it hard to concentrate between Lyserg's ministrations and this semi-conscious state he could not seem to awaken from. "Then you're n-not—oh!" He moaned as Lyserg stroked faster, in the meantime leaning in and planting hot kisses along Horokeu's throat, his tongue flicking lightly over the sensitive skin.

Horokeu bit his lip. "Lyserg, please…"

"Hm?" Lyserg paused briefly in his actions. "You don't like this?"

"Y-Yes," Horokeu answered, panting heavily. "I do. It feels…good, but…but…" He did not know how to explain it, but somehow, this did not feel right. If Lyserg was not his Master, then he could not do this. Only his Master had the right…the right to his body.

"Please," Horokeu whispered, whimpering slightly when another erotic stroke from Lyserg nearly numbed his mind with pleasure. "I-I…"

"Lyserg."

Horokeu was at first so absorbed in the heat of the moment that he did not register the new voice. However, when Lyserg's caresses suddenly ceased and the heat began to recede, Horokeu slowly cracked his eyes open, half wanting more, half curious about why Lyserg had stopped. Through his blurred vision he could barely make out a new figure, dark, shadowed, standing over the green-haired man and the Ainu. The dim lights on the ceiling threw no shadow on the floor, yet Horokeu was too groggy to notice.

The figure spoke again. "What are you doing, Lyserg?" he asked.

Instantly something snapped inside Horokeu's mind: the voice was familiar; it was his Master's voice. Eagerly he sat up, Lyserg quite forgotten as he strained his eyes to see his Master, but somehow he could not make out more than a fuzzy image of golden eyes, purple hair, and black clothing, though he blinked and strained his vision as much as he could.

Lyserg rose slowly, bowing slightly to the new arrival. "Just a test, sire," he said, voice low and respectful.

Horokeu's Master cocked his head slightly, and when he spoke, his voice was rather amused. "And for what sort of test would you bring Horokeu all the way here?" he asked.

At this, Lyserg smiled. "He's safer here," he said, before pausing and adding in a rather mischievous voice, "and I was curious as to what he was capable of. After all, you had mentioned—"

"Yes, I am aware." Horokeu's Master laughed, a low, deep chuckle. "Intriguing, isn't he?" He waved his hand then dismissively at Lyserg. "Come now, but he belongs to me. Go."

Lyserg sighed. "But Ren-sama, I'd hardly begun," he protested.

Horokeu's Master shook his head. "Go," he repeated, "Else Marco will get impatient. And you know how he gets when he's impatient."

"Hm." Lyserg shrugged as if it was of no consequence. "Well, it was entertaining while it lasted," he said, half-addressing Horokeu and half-addressing the new arrival. "My respects, Ren-sama." He bowed, and Horokeu barely heard his footsteps receding, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing. The Ainu did not even glance in Lyserg's direction; his attention was fixated on the figure standing before him.

For a moment neither moved nor spoke, but soon his Master came up to him, kneeling down before the Ainu and gently tilting his chin upward so that he could get a closer look at him, ignoring the fact that Horokeu was at the moment exposed in a most indecent way. Still Horokeu could not seem to awaken from his groggy state and so he could make out nothing more than his Master's intoxicating golden eyes as the other man gave him a thorough scrutiny, knitting his brows slightly when he peered at Horokeu's neck.

"Well now…" he muttered, almost to himself, as he reached up and gently touched the side of Horokeu's throat; instantly the Ainu shivered at both the cold feeling of his fingers and the sharp sting of his touch—he vaguely remembered that _thing_, which he now suspected could somehow have been Lyserg with his green eyes, had bitten him somewhere near or on this spot.

"Looks like Lyserg had himself quite a feast," his Master remarked lightly. "I'm not surprised that you are not yourself."

Horokeu hardly heard him. "You're my Master," he blurted out.

His Master smiled. "Well, it's good to know that you are not completely incapacitated after losing so much blood," he said, before nodding slowly. "Yes, Horokeu, I am your Master. Tao Ren is my name, if you're curious."

"Tao Ren…" Horokeu repeated the name slowly; it sounded foreign, but somehow he loved it already. "You're the one who's been visiting me every night?"

"I would allow no other, now would I?" Ren said, smiling as he reached up to stroke Horokeu's cheek. "Such a beautiful, perfect mortal…"

Horokeu blinked. "M-Mortal?"

Ren smiled. "You will eventually die, won't you? That makes you mortal."

"Yes, but…" Horokeu frowned. "Why me and not you?"

At this, he was surprised when Ren laughed. "Why, indeed," he said. "Come now, Horokeu, I know you're smarter than this. You've seen Lyserg, and what he is capable of. I know you have your legends and your folk tales; surely you can't have missed the clues?"

He smiled then, displaying a set of polished white teeth, and the instant Horokeu noticed the canines, almost three times as long as they normally would be and sharpened to fine points, he realized. For a moment he grew confused as scientific laws and basic common sense revolted against the thought, but when he spoke, his voice was amazingly calm and resolute.

"You're a vampire."

Ren's grin widened, showing even more prominently his sharpened fangs. "Excellent, Horokeu," he said. "You are truly worthy of serving me."

Horokeu blinked, the words taking a moment to register in his dazed state. "Serving…you?"

Ren cocked his head. "Surely you must have realized," he said, speaking as if surprised that Horokeu did not understand.

Horokeu shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ren, but—" He never finished, for at that instant Ren's hand came up and slapped him across the face, causing his cheek to smart so that tears jumped to his eyes. Reaching up to touch his swelling face, he stared at Ren in shock. The vampire looked far from pleased.

"You've already forgotten?" Ren said, his voice low. He gripped Horokeu's chin tightly in his hand, forcing the Ainu to look straight into his hard golden eyes. "You are only to call me Master, Horokeu," he said. "Nothing more, nothing less, as long as you remain my slave."

The last word distracted Horokeu from Ren's anger. "Slave?"

At this, Ren's expression softened and returned to the cool impassiveness of before, and he gently released the Ainu. "It seems you do not fully comprehend," he said. "I warned you against it, but you have ended up in the underworld anyway. Mortals who step into the realm of immortals cannot step out again freely. You will remain here as my slave for as long as I deem fit."

His words paralyzed Horokeu, and instantly confusion tore through his mind. Half of him revolted at the thought of serving Ren like a mindless captive, of having to obey someone else's every word and command and to be at his every beck and call. But the other half of him somehow felt that this was right, that he would gladly give up his entire life to serve his Master if it meant he could be with Ren forever, and this was the side that, as of late, Horokeu had gotten into the habit of listening to.

When he spoke, his voice was soft yet resolute. "Yes, Master."

"Very good." And before Horokeu could say anything more, his arm was taken in an iron grip and he was hauled to his feet. Instantly the entire room spun in lazy circles as what blood left in his body shifted, trying to accommodate this new position, and he would have fallen had Ren not wrapped an arm firmly around him, allowing Horokeu to lean against him as they made their way slowly across the room. Horokeu's vision was still blurry, yet he could tell from the lighting as they entered another room that they were in a bathroom, and he was not surprised when Ren set him gently against the counter and proceeded to carefully remove his clothing. When that was done, Ren led him slowly into the shower and turned the knobs. The water was hot, so hot that it nearly scalded his skin, and with this sudden shock Horokeu was jolted partially out of his faint condition, just enough so that he could peer at Ren closely and clearly as the vampire proceeded to scrub him down with a washcloth as tenderly as a mother would her child.

The first thing that struck Horokeu about Ren was the fact that, though he had the complexion of an Asian, he did not look Japanese. Thinking carefully over the name Tao Ren, Horokeu at last decided that Ren had to be at least part-Chinese. Peering carefully at the vampire even as the hot water ran down his face, he noted Ren's pale features, his dark purple hair that hung partially in front of his face and spiked at the top of his head, and the simple black long-sleeve shirt and dark jeans he was wearing. Horokeu also realized with some surprise that Ren was a good couple of inches shorter than he was; he had seemed tall enough when they were making love.

**_(cut)_**

He did not have time to relish the afterglow for Ren seized him, using the showerhead to clean him up before turning off the water and dragging him out. Startled by his sudden haste, Horokeu looked up, the passionate haze barely starting to clear as he peered at Ren, who was drying him with towels. "M-Master?" he whispered, worried. Had he done something wrong?

"It's not you," Ren said, as if he could read Horokeu's thoughts. He gently slid a black silk robe onto Horokeu's bare shoulders, tying it for him. When the Ainu was thus once again decent, Ren seized his hand, leading him toward the closed bathroom door. "Come along," he said. "He's waiting for us."

"Who?" Horokeu asked, watching as Ren turned the doorknob.

"Our leader," Ren answered in a matter-of-fact voice, pulling open the door.

Instantly Horokeu blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust from the harsh bathroom lights to the dimmer setting of the room he had awoken in. It took a moment before he was finally able to distinguish anything from the soft darkness of the muted lamps. Slowly, before his adjusting eyes, shadowy figures began to take on distinct, more human features.

The first one he recognized was Lyserg, who at the moment was bowing respectfully in Ren's direction. Across the room stood a tall couple: a tall blond man dressed in a thick coat with an oddly-shaped hat on his head, and a slim woman wearing a simple pink dress and with golden locks that cascaded down her shoulders in waves to her thin waist. Both merely nodded in Ren's direction, and Horokeu had the sense that they were equals, though he had no idea how levels in the apparent vampiric hierarchy were determined.

Suddenly his hand was released and, turning, he blinked when he saw Ren dip his body in a reverent bow. He was facing neither Lyserg nor the odd couple in the corner; Horokeu looked and saw two people standing in the middle of the room, facing them, one behind the other. The one in front had long, dark brown hair that fell neatly down his shoulders and Horokeu could see almost nothing of his body for he was wearing a cream-colored mantle that covered everything. The one in back surprised the Ainu because his facial features almost exactly matched those of the one in front, save that his hair was shorter and tied in a ponytail at the back of his head, and Horokeu immediately noticed that, while everyone else in the room had skin that was colored a pale, creamy white, this man's skin was like Horokeu's own: warm, flushed, alive.

His attention was drawn when the taller of the two, the one with the longer hair, cocked his head slightly and spoke. "Would this fair one happen to be your new slave, Ren?" he asked with a chuckle, voice low yet light. "Haven't taught him the proper manners yet?"

Horokeu was about to answer when he was suddenly stricken a blow from behind that caused him to fall to his knees with a startled cry. To his left he heard Ren snarl in anger, "Show respect, slave."

"S-Sorry," Horokeu whispered, not knowing whether he was apologizing to Ren or to the long-haired man.

The new arrival laughed with the air of one who had no cares about the situation either way. "No need to apologize, mortal," he said. "Even my slave here forgot in the beginning…though I soon corrected his ways." He nodded slightly in the direction of the man standing behind him, who made no response, remaining respectfully quiet.

The long-haired man then took a step forward, putting out his hand and slowly helping Horokeu back up to his feet. "Now then," he said. "I don't think we've had the pleasure yet." He offered his hand. "Asakura Hao, Ren's creator. In terms you can easily understand, I am your master's master."

Horokeu glanced to his left, as if asking Ren's permission to touch Hao. The golden-eyed vampire made no attempt to answer him, however, and so he hesitantly reached out and took the offered hand. "Usui Horok—ah!" He could not hold back his startled cry as Hao yanked him forward, and before he even had a chance to wonder what was going on he felt the vampire's ice-cold hand dip under the thin material of the robe, wandering over his skin. Involuntarily he hissed in surprise at the feeling, but that only drew another amused laugh from Hao.

"Sensitive, are we?" he said, smiling as he withdrew his hand. He turned then to Ren and nodded. "You've quite a find here, my child. I especially like the hair." With a slight push he sent Horokeu stumbling back toward the other vampire, who caught him in strong arms and wrapped him in a comforting embrace. Instantly Horokeu's fear vanished and he relaxed.

Ren did not look at him as he addressed Hao, voice even and respectful. "Thank you, Hao-sama."

"Well then," Hao said, stepping back and snapping his fingers; instantly the man behind him stepped up. "Usui Horokeu, right? Allow me to make introductions." He snaked an arm around his companion's waist, allowing the other man's head to fall back onto his chest. "This is Asakura Yoh, my most recent…and most satisfying…slave." He dipped his head slightly and planted a kiss on Yoh's lips, which was eagerly returned. "He should make good company."

He turned then to the other vampires present in the room. "Lyserg you have already met," he said, nodding to the green-haired vampire in the corner. "Over there is Faust with his wife Eliza." The blond man tipped his hat with a smile; the woman merely nodded, snuggling closer to her husband.

Hao nodded. "And that will be all concerning the slave," he said, voice suddenly growing harder, more cruel. He did not look at Horokeu again as he turned to the rest of the vampires. "It grows late, but there is still time. Jeanne will be out as well, so I suggest you be careful." He turned to Faust. "You're staying tonight."

Faust nodded. "Of course, Hao-sama," he said. "Eliza will bring me what I need." His wife nodded, giving him a kiss before detaching herself from him and stepping forward. Lyserg joined her, and Ren, looking down at Horokeu, smiled and kissed his forehead lightly.

"I'll be back soon," he said.

"Where are you going, Master?" Horokeu asked.

"Why, to hunt, of course," Hao said with an amused smile. "Honestly, Ren, your slave seems a little slow on the uptake, hm?"

"That would be my fault, Hao-sama," Lyserg said with a mischievous grin.

"Is it?" Hao said, his smile not fading. "I was under the impression Ren did not like others touching his property."

"I don't," Ren said, giving Lyserg a pointed look before gently disengaging Horokeu and joining Hao.

The long-haired vampire simply smiled, turning to Yoh and running a gentle hand down the side of his face. "I'm expecting something nice when I get back," he whispered. Yoh blushed lightly and nodded. Still grinning, Hao turned and waved nonchalantly at the large window at the back of the room; instantly the double panes flew open with a loud bang. As the chilly night air rushed into the room, Horokeu could only stare as each vampire seemed to rise on the current before darting out into the night with incredible speed; the Ainu only had to blink and then they were gone.

He was left alone in the room with only Faust and Yoh. Turning, he watched quietly as the blond vampire walked—no, glided, it seemed—up to the open window and closed it gently. He turned then to Horokeu and smiled, a caring, fatherly grin. "If you need some clothes to change into, I'm sure Yoh will be more than happy to provide them for you," he said.

Yoh nodded and spoke for the first time. "Come with me," he said, beckoning to Horokeu. Noting how his voice seemed to exactly match Hao's tone, Horokeu obeyed, tailing the other human out of the room. Faust smiled, flicking the flower in his hat indifferently as he looked out through the window at the dark night.


	5. V

**A/N: **It's my birthday! And as it is Asian tradition to be generous on your birthday, I'm updating all my WIPs today, including IN.

Unfortunately, that's the good news. The bad news? I don't think I'll be able to finish this story. I've tried continuing it, but I can't seem to get a grasp of the characters anymore; therefore, I think this fic is doomed to be discontinued. With that said, then, I'll continue posting what I have, and when I hit the point where I stopped writing, I'll either remove the story completely or leave it there and see if anybody wants to do anything with it, or something. I'll figure something out.

With that said, then, on to the fic! A little insight into the vampires and how they live, courtesy of Yoh.

_**INTEMPTESTA NOX: **_**CHAPTER V**

"What is this place?" Horokeu asked as Yoh turned yet another corner ahead of him.

"To be honest, I have no idea," Yoh answered without turning around. "I know it belongs to Hao-sama because he signs all the property papers, but slaves aren't allowed to go outside so I don't know where in the city it is. I don't know how long they've been here either—I'm guessing as long as Jeanne has."

Horokeu blinked. This was the second time he had heard mention of this Jeanne and his curiosity was peaked. "Who is Jeanne?"

Yoh shrugged. "She leads another…team, if you will, of vampires. We share the city and the surrounding area with them. From what I heard, she dates back to the medieval times, and she…" At this, his voice faltered a bit and he gritted his teeth and hissed out the words. "She once had a history with Hao-sama…"

"But not anymore," Horokeu said quickly.

"Not anymore," Yoh agreed. "Now Hao-sama has me, and I have him, and that's all there is to it."

"Uh…" Horokeu hesitated with the question before taking a deep breath. "You know, I noticed back there that you…you're, uh…"

"Both Asakuras?" Yoh finished for him. "Yes. Hao-sama is my ancestor. He lived sometime in the eleventh century."

The Ainu blinked. "And…you don't, you know, have a problem with that?"

At this, Yoh stopped and turned. "Do you?" he asked. When Horokeu could not manage a reply, he smiled, a carefree grin that almost perfectly matched his master's. "Hao-sama loves me, Horokeu," he said. "And I love him. That's all that matters. It's the same with you and Ren-sama."

The Ainu opened his mouth to agree but suddenly something struck him. He loved Ren, that was true. But had the vampire ever said those three words to him? Sure, he had faithfully arrived every night, they had made love with passion and fervor, but never once had his master said…

Yoh came to a stop before a large set of double doors, bringing Horokeu out of his thoughts. "Here we are," he said and, reaching forward, he pushed the doors open. Horokeu blinked at the room inside: maroon carpet, expensive Persian rugs, gold-framed paintings hanging on the walls, pure mahogany furniture, silk curtains, dark blood-red velvet on the bed. Never in his life had Horokeu seen such luxury, not even in his dreams.

"This is the room that Hao-sama and I share," Yoh said, walking confidently inside. "Usually I'm the only one here, since Hao-sama doesn't really take to this type of thing. But he likes to come here when he…" He blushed lightly. "When he, um, needs certain services…"

"I see." Horokeu barely heard him, mesmerized by the room.

Yoh laughed when he looked back at Horokeu. "Don't bother gawking," he said. "Your room will be just as nice, if not better. I've never bothered to see it, but I heard from Lyserg-sama that Ren-sama's room is quite lavish." He turned from Horokeu and headed for the grand dresser with its huge revolving mirror.

"You mean…" Horokeu could not help staring at the splendor surrounding him. "I…I can…"

"Well, surely you realize that a vampire has to keep his slave satisfied," Yoh said, not turning around as he rummaged through the drawers. "Otherwise, we'd never be willing to stay with them for so long. Let me see…with me and Hao-sama, it's been…um…almost two years now, I think."

_Two years._ Somehow that seemed an awfully long time to serve someone else, and Horokeu was just about to ask about it when his mind suddenly switched to another thought, completely redirecting his ideas. "Lyserg has been to Ren's room?"

Yoh frowned slightly in the mirror at Horokeu. "Don't be so informal," he said. "It'll get you punished." He turned, holding several sets of clothing in his arms as he walked slowly up to Horokeu. "You'd best get this straight," he said, face serious. "In this world, if you're a slave, you are respectful to anyone above you. If Hao-sama or any of his friends asks you to do something, you do it without complaint or protest. If you don't, the consequences are severe. Just remember," and with this, he tilted his head slightly to the left so that Horokeu could clearly see two dark scars dotting his neck, "if you screw up, there are billions of other mortals that can easily replace you."

Horokeu blinked. "You don't address Jeanne in that way."

Yoh smiled bitterly, spreading the clothes neatly out on the bed. "That's because Jeanne isn't above us," he said. "She and her vampires aren't exactly our enemies, but there have been tensions over territory. Besides, she isn't one of us; she's a stranger, a foreigner, so you don't have to respect her if you don't want to."

"I see." Horokeu nodded. "So, Ly…Lyserg-sama, then. How did he—"

"Well, I thought you'd have figured it out by now," Yoh said, and then indicated the clothes on the bed. "Pick out a set."

Horokeu blinked. They were all designer brands, made of the finest material, imported from various foreign makers. "I…I don't know, they're all so…"

"Well, Ren-sama seems to like black," Yoh said with a smile, indicating Horokeu's robe. "Let's try some of that." He began collecting clothes, speaking as he did so. "I don't know the details, but Hao-sama told me the basics one time. Lyserg-sama was a foreign exchange student from England. He came here sometime in the last century studying to be a detective, I think, but things weren't going well for him—his parents died in a fire back in England and he fell into a depression and a slump. That's when Ren-sama came to him. Helped him recover a bit through money and…other things…and eventually changed him. Soon after that, Lyserg-sama and Ren-sama decided to…well, see other people, I guess would be the right way to say it, and Lyserg-sama moved on to that X-Law, Marco."

Horokeu blinked. "X-Law…?"

Yoh snorted, setting aside an all-black outfit and folding up the rest of the clothes. "Jeanne's name for her vampires. She's fancy like that, likes to give little pet names to everything. So she calls her team the X-Laws. Stupid name, if you ask me."

"I see," Horokeu said. "So this Marco is an X-Law? Meaning he's on Jeanne's side?"

"That's right," Yoh said. "But no one really has a problem with it. Like I said, Jeanne and the X-Laws aren't exactly our enemies. We live by the 'you don't hurt us, we don't hurt you' type of rule. So for now, no one minds Lyserg-sama and Marco screwing each other, as long as one of them doesn't decide to randomly kill the other." He smiled mischievously. "They do play rough every once in a while though…"

Horokeu blushed and decided to switch a topic. "Um…so what about Faust and—er, Faust-sama and the others? How were they changed?"

Yoh only shrugged, returning to the dresser and putting the clothes away. "Don't know," he said. "Never bothered asking."

"What about Hao-sama?"

Yoh turned and winked. "That's his secret," he said. "He's never told anyone, not a soul these past thousand years. Though I'm hoping to change his mind sometime." He closed the drawers and nodded to Horokeu. "Do you need help? Or can you handle this yourself?"

Horokeu blushed; did he look that helpless? "I'll be fine, thanks," he said.

Yoh shrugged. "Okay," he said, and glanced into a dark corner of the room, though Horokeu had no idea why. "I'll let you change in here, but I'll have to come back later to…get ready for Hao-sama." A faint blush tinted his cheeks.

He turned and was just about to exit when Horokeu's voice stopped him. "Wait." He turned to see the Ainu standing by the bed, holding the clothes he had provided, a hesitant look on his face. There followed a long silence before the Ainu finally found the courage to speak. "Do you ever…you know, miss them?"

Yoh blinked. "Miss who?"

"You know…your family."

"Hao-sama is my family," Yoh answered evenly.

"And your friends?"

The dark-haired slave smiled. "Hao-sama is my friend."

Horokeu frowned. "I…see."

At this, Yoh laughed. "I'm sorry, I am a bit of a tease," he said. "Yes, it's hard at first, but you get used to it after a while." He shrugged. "I suggest you talk to Ren-sama when he gets back. He's a little stricter with his slaves than Hao-sama is, but I'm pretty sure he'll let you write your family. If he doesn't…well, I'll put in a word to Hao-sama and I'm sure he'll be able to convince him. How does that sound?" He smiled warmly.

Horokeu managed a small smile in return. "Sounds good," he said. "Thanks, Yoh."

"Later," the other slave said and walked out, closing the doors behind him.

Left alone in the room, Horokeu sighed, gently untying the knot and allowing the robe to slip from his shoulders. The air was cold and he shivered a bit as he began slowly to dress. As he pulled on the undershirt, Lyserg's story kept replaying in his mind. Parents died, dropped out of school, got depressed, then saved by Ren. Was it a coincidence, or did Ren simply like going after people in this sort of situation?

He shook his head slowly, pulling a pair of loose black jeans over the boxers (also black, he noticed). Yoh served Hao so blindly, without a hint of hesitation or regret. He dismissed his family and friends on a whim, all to be with his long-haired master. Would Horokeu himself one day be the same way in his devotion to Ren?

Two years. Could he really serve Ren blindly for so long?

"It does seem rather dismal, doesn't it?" The voice thoroughly startled Horokeu and he jumped and spun, staring as a tall figure seemed to detach itself from the shadowed corner Yoh had glanced at before, gliding slowly over the smooth carpet toward the frightened Ainu. "But you soon learn to lose track of the time," Faust continued in the same impassive voice.

"How long have you been watching me?" Horokeu demanded, in his fear completely forgetting Yoh's warning about formalities.

Faust cocked his head. "Oh, since before Yoh left," he said. "After all, slaves must be guarded with the utmost care. Ren-san would be most upset if anything happened to you." He bent and picked up the black shirt Horokeu had dropped in his surprise, offering it to the Ainu. "You needn't worry, Horokeu," he said. "I was a surgeon in my old life. I am used to seeing the human body exposed."

Horokeu took the shirt with shaking hands but his voice was steady. "Thank you, Faust-sama."

Faust smiled. "Such a quick learner, and very beautiful," he said, speaking almost to himself. "It's no wonder Ren-san finds you so appealing…oh, but I mustn't say that. Eliza would be angry if she found out." And he laughed.

Horokeu managed a smile as well as he began buttoning the shirt up. He had almost finished when Faust spoke again.

"You asked Yoh how we were changed," he remarked, giving Horokeu an assuring smile. "Would you like to know?"

The Ainu looked at him for a moment before nodding slowly. Faust's smile did not fade. "Well, I suppose it's only proper I start with myself then," he said. "I grew up in Germany, studying medicine. I met Eliza when I was fourteen, and we were wed two years later." He laughed at Horokeu's surprised look. "Remember, this was almost four hundred years ago," he said. "It was common back then.

"I was a great surgeon; people from all over consulted me on all sorts of sicknesses." His face darkened a bit. "But then one day my beautiful Eliza fell sick. I couldn't identify the disease, and neither could I cure it. And as she grew weaker and weaker, I became more and more desperate. I researched every medical journal, every study ever done, but could find nothing. I refused to believe it though. Every disease has a cure; it's a belief I hold even today. Some sicknesses, though, require cures that have nothing to do with medicine.

"Eliza's days were numbered and I was ready to give up hope, but then salvation came to me. Salvation in the form of a vampire by the name of Boris Tepes Dracula." He smiled nostalgically at the memories. "Boris-sama gave me a new alternative: immortality. At first I didn't believe him, being a doctor and thus a practical man. And so, to prove his point, he changed me first."

The vampire paused, relishing in the recollection. "It was wonderful. Knowing that no one could hurt me, having such amazing power…but most of all, being immune to sickness. I changed Eliza soon after, but sadly, the disease had already stolen her melodious voice and even immortality couldn't bring it back. We were still grateful, though, especially to Boris-sama who had given us this chance. He told us that, should we ever need any place to go, we could seek refuge with his master, Asakura Hao-sama, in Japan. He said the easiest place to find him would be by Hao-sama's side. He then left us."

Faust shrugged then as if the rest of the tale was of no particular importance. "A couple hundred years later, suspicions were raised against us and a band of slayers set out after Eliza and myself. We were forced to flee from Germany, and we headed immediately to Japan. The slayers who chased us were promptly disposed of by Hao-sama, and he told us that Boris-sama had been killed in a confrontation somewhere in eastern Europe. We have stayed with Hao-sama ever since." He stopped here and reached out toward Horokeu, popping open the three topmost buttons of his shirt. "Honestly, there's no need to be so conservative here," he said.

Horokeu blushed lightly, clutching at the open shirt. "Yeah, but—"

"Remember this, Horokeu," Faust said, reaching out to grasp his hand and steady it. "There's no need for modesty when you're around us. Vampires have a fascination with the flesh; you should use it to your advantage." He released Horokeu's hand and smiled. "You want to please your master, right?"

The Ainu nodded slowly.

"Then make yourself beautiful for him," Faust said. "You already have a head start with your hair and those eyes, and your body is already quite desirable." As he said this, he ran one long finger down Horokeu's bared chest. "But you must remember: Ren-san picked you up not only because of your looks, but your intelligence." He tapped Horokeu lightly. "Be observant. Find out what your master likes, and do it. Make him desire you, make him want to ravish you, make him love you. Only then will you truly have served him well."

"Make him…love me," Horokeu repeated slowly before looking up at Faust. "Is that possible?" _Doesn't he love me right now?_

The tall vampire smiled. "Ren-san is different from us," he said. "We live openly and we love openly. But not Ren-san. It may not look like it, but he guards his heart carefully, and you're very fortunate indeed if he lets you into it. I've never heard of him truly falling in love with anyone—not even Lyserg-kun, and they were quite close. I suppose it has something to do with his upbringing."

"Upbringing?" Horokeu repeated. "You mean before he was changed?"

Faust nodded. "I never bothered with the details," he said, "But I'll tell you what I know. Ren-san is my senior by about two hundred years, and he was heir to the Tao clan, which was very powerful in China back then. The Taos were constantly at war, battling to gain more land and defend the territories already under their control. Their greatest battle was somewhere near modern-day Beijing, and it was here that Ren-san was mortally wounded on the battlefield. Yet he didn't die, for after the fighting cleared and the troops moved on, Hao-sama came to him and changed him, thus saving his life. However, to his family he was already dead, and so he simply left them and followed Hao-sama to Japan, where they have stayed ever since."

"So Master was a soldier?" Horokeu asked.

"Yes, and a talented one at that," Faust said. "Even today, he is a name in Chinese legend. Only one other soldier from that era is as well known, and that would be Bason, Ren-san's friend and adviser who died not long after the battle where Ren-san was changed."

"Wait," Horokeu said. "Master abandoned his family just like that? Without wondering how they would feel about it?"

Faust shrugged. "Well, you must remember that he was left on the battlefield with a fatal wound," he said. "His family had already been told that he was dead, so he really had no reason to stay with them." He paused. "Of course, that doesn't mean—"

They were interrupted when the door opened and Yoh walked inside. The other slave smiled upon seeing the vampire and bowed slightly. "Faust-sama," he said.

Faust nodded at the bundle in his arms. "Seems like you'll be busy," he said. "I should leave you then." With a parting nod to Horokeu, he walked out of the room.

Yoh continued bowing as he passed, but straightened once the vampire was out of sight. He walked past Horokeu and up to the bed. "I suppose you're finished?" he asked.

Horokeu nodded. "Thanks," he said.

"I'd like them back later, if you don't mind," Yoh said. "Hao-sama likes black too. Besides, you should be able to find more than enough outfits in Ren-sama's room." He allowed the bundle to fall from his arms so that it spilled its contents onto the bed. Seeing Horokeu's eyes widen in shock, Yoh only laughed. "Yes, it takes a little getting used to," he said, picking up the whip. "Surprisingly, Hao-sama likes to be on the receiving end of this thing. Says it makes him feel more alive." He sifted slowly through the other contents of the bundle. "The chains and the handcuffs are for me," he said. "They add a nice touch to the atmosphere." He then picked up the large plastic bag filled with dark red rose petals. "I got these for you," he said. "I heard Ren-sama likes flower petals, though I can't remember which kind. Hope these'll do."

Horokeu felt his cheeks grow hot as more suggestive thoughts pervaded his mind, and he reached hesitantly out for the offered bag. "Um…th-thanks," he said.

"Don't mention it," Yoh said, and then he smiled when he noticed the Ainu's cheeks flushed red. "No need to be shy," he said. "Shyness doesn't get you anywhere here…unless, of course, you're playing coy, which can be sexy in its own way." He nodded at the open door. "If you want to be ready by the time they get back, I suggest you start preparing now," he said. "Ren-sama's room is just further down the hallway. It shouldn't be hard to find—he likes to hang a lantern out in front of the doors."

"Oh." Horokeu nodded slowly. "Thanks." He was unsure of whether or not he should leave, but Yoh solved the problem for him.

"If you don't mind," the other slave said, "Hao-sama said he wanted something nice when he gets back, which means I need to prepare. So if you could…?"

Horokeu nodded quickly. "Yeah, of course," he said, and walked quickly out of the room. Making his way slowly down the dark hallway, he heard the doors to Hao's room close firmly behind him with a resounding boom and continued on slowly, searching.

Soon enough, he noticed a faint yellow light in the distance and, walking forward, he eventually distinguished what looked like a large paper Chinese lantern hanging from the ceiling with the single word "Tao" painted on it. Yoh had been right: the flickering lantern was hanging directly in front of two closed double doors.

Walking forward, still holding the bag of rose petals, Horokeu tried the door and found it unlocked. Pushing both doors open, he took a moment to process the scene before him.

It was like stepping from the modern day into one of those ancient Chinese dramas he used to watch as a child. The hardwood floor was cold beneath his feet, and the walls were made of polished dark oak. The chairs and tables were all of Chinese design, with silk cushions and coverings. The lamp was made of paper and set on a wooden stand with a candle in the middle, and the windows were made of dark wood carved with intricate, graceful designs and permeated by a thin, semi-translucent white material that Horokeu guessed was either thin paper or silk. A tall two-door cabinet stood in one corner, and a three-panel changing screen stood proudly next to it, covered with beautiful Chinese brush paintings of mountains, waterfalls, clouds and trees.

Peering to his right, Horokeu could clearly see another room, decorated in much the same fashion as the one he was currently standing in, separated from the bedroom by only an expertly-crafted wooden archway. His exploration of this room revealed only walls, windows, and several shrines that were obviously well-cared-for, perhaps honoring the family Ren had left behind. Finding nothing else of interest, Horokeu returned to the bedroom.

Across the room beneath one of the windows lay a beautifully-crafted calligraphy table, the wood dark red and designs embroidered with gold. On top of this, Horokeu found several scrolls of thin calligraphy paper and an assortment of brushes, some set neatly in cases, others leaning on the grinding stone which was dark with dried ink. Several sheets of paper were spread out on the desk, all covered with delicate Chinese characters, gracefully and painstakingly written.

Turning, Horokeu then approached the bed. It was rather large, more than enough to fit two people, and was set on four strong wooden legs. The canopy and the sides were also made of wood, draped with light-colored silk hangings. Pushing aside the hangings, Horokeu saw that the bed itself was rather simple: a thick mattress with a thin covering, an assortment of pillows, all cream-colored and made of silk. There was no blanket.

For a moment Horokeu only stayed where he was, half-kneeling on the edge of the bed, looking down at it. Presently, his eyes shifted from the pillows to the bag of rose petals in his hand, and slowly he unzipped it and reached inside, grabbing a handful of petals.

_Make him desire you._

With several casual flicks of his wrist he scattered petals all over the mattress in a shower of blood-red.

_Make him want to ravish you._

Setting the half-empty bag beneath the bed, he went to each of the four lamps in the room, blowing out every one save the last. This one he picked up, setting next to the bed on a small table so that it cast a pale, eerie, and quite erotic glow onto the mattress, the light muffled slightly by the thin silk hangings.

_Make him love you._

Horokeu stood back, admiring his handiwork for a moment before slowly slipping out of his clothes, throwing each article of clothing in a random direction as he removed it so that, when he had finished, pieces of black were strewn haphazardly throughout the room. Closing the two doors carefully, he climbed slowly into the bed, being careful to replace the hangings in front of the mattress, and there he waited.

* * *

It was about two hours before sunrise when the vampires returned. Faust greeted them warmly before taking Eliza in his arms and sinking his fangs into her neck, drawing blood greedily out of her veins, engorged from the hunt. He was so absorbed in this, feeling Eliza's hands and body moving suggestively against him, that he hardly heard Ren's question.

"Hm?" he said, breaking contact with his wife briefly to look up at the golden-eyed vampire who was currently facing him, arms crossed. "What?"

"I asked where Horokeu was," Ren repeated.

"Oh." Faust smiled, blood running down his chin. "He's in your room, waiting for you. Apparently he picked up quite a bit from Yoh; it's not bad for a first attempt." With that, he turned back to his wife.

Ren was stopped from replying when Hao came up, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come along then," he said with a smile. "It seems there's a surprise waiting for both of us."

Ren nodded and followed his master without a word, though inside he already felt himself growing hot with anticipation. If it had impressed the impassive Faust, it was sure to impress Ren.

They soon found themselves in the long dark hallway that harbored both of their rooms. Stopping in front of the closed doors of Hao's room, the older vampire turned to his child. "Be nice to him, Ren," he said. "He's trying his best for you."

Ren sighed softly. "I know," he said.

"Is there a chance for him?" Hao asked, watching his child closely.

Very slowly, Ren lifted his head to meet the other vampire's eyes. "As of now, I'm really not sure," he said. "But I will try, sire. I will try."

Hao smiled, gently touching Ren's cheek. "That's a start," he said, and winked. "Don't make too much noise."

Ren returned the grin. "Or you, Hao-sama."

Hao pushed open the doors to his room, but Ren did not see what was inside for already he had turned from his master and was heading further down the hallway toward his own room. Soon enough, he came upon the lantern that always marked the entrance to his lair and paused for a brief moment before pushing open both doors.

Faust had been right; Horokeu had done a pretty impressive job. Though he had seen more seductive settings, the scattered clothing and the dim light were a nice touch. Making his way slowly over to the bed, he quietly pushed aside the silk hangings and took a moment to simply stand there and drink in the beautiful sight before him.

The entire mattress was covered with rose petals, dark red as the blood he had feasted on that night, and spread out invitingly on the bed before him was Horokeu, stark naked, the soft glow of the lamp seeming to illuminate every dip, curve and crevice of his body. His slave currently had one hand beneath his pillow, and his head was slightly off to the side of it, dark eyes closed and blue bangs falling a little bit over his face. His lips were slightly parted, just enough to be incredibly tempting, and Ren felt his breath leave his lungs in one slow hiss as he looked down at the human beneath him.

It took a few moments before he moved, slowly climbing onto the mattress until he was crouched over Horokeu. "Been waiting for me long?" he asked, his voice low and raspy with desire.

The Ainu's eyes fluttered open and he smiled, having been awake the whole time, Ren knew. "Too long," he said, eyes narrowing slightly so that Ren nearly became lost in his black eyes.

"But I see you've been busy while I was away," Ren said, picking up a petal and tracing Horokeu's lips with it. "The roses were right, sweet Horokeu. But do try yellow or white next time; they match the bed, don't you think?"

"Mm." Horokeu shifted so that he was lying fully on his back, looking up at the vampire. "I'll remember that, Master."

"Please do," Ren said, leaning down to kiss him, both of them aching with desire. He felt Horokeu grasp his shoulders while wrapping his legs around his waist, pressing them close so that his arousal suddenly became a very tactile reality.

Feeling Ren's tongue licking urgently at his bottom lip, Horokeu parted his mouth enough to allow the vampire to slip inside. He moaned deeply at the feeling, hugging his master even closer, and when at last they broke apart he was struggling for breath. "Anou…we do have time for this, right?"

Ren only smiled. "Two hours until sunrise, my dear Horokeu," he said. "That's more than enough time." He kissed Horokeu with passionate urgency, and with one final sigh the Ainu gave himself up completely to his master.


	6. VI

**A/N: **My deepest apologies—I meant to get this up yesterday as a pseudo-Christmas present for you all, but I guess I never got around to it.

Either way, here's the latest chapter. It's also the last—at least, it's as far as I got. Which means that from here on out, I'm sorry but this story is on indefinite hold. I might rewatch SK and eventually continue it at a later date, but there are no guarantees—with that said, then, if someone is interested in taking up the torch for me, I'd be more than happy to pass it along.

Thanks to everyone who supported me through this, despite the inevitability of its discontinuation. I'm sorry I ended up letting you down after all.

Also, unless something drastic happens, this fic also marks the end of my career on FFN; you'll find me at my ficjournal on LJ from now on. It's been a pleasure.

Erm, Merry Christmas, everyone? (I feel like such a jerk…) _-MeeLee_

_**INTEMPTESTA NOX: CHAPTER VI**_

It was almost noon by the time Usui Horokeu finally awoke, blinking groggily at the dim sunlight that barely filtered through the covered windows. It took a moment for him to remember where he was, but eventually the events of the previous night came to him: how Lyserg had brought him to this place, he had met Ren in the light for the first time, had met Hao and Yoh and Faust and Eliza, had prepared the bed for Ren's return. His master had been amazingly gentle and loving, pleasuring Horokeu so thoroughly that he had felt ready to faint. The Ainu shivered slightly, blushing as he remembered their lovemaking, so frank, so honest, so openly erotic.

They had finished only an hour before sunrise, and with one last kiss Ren had departed. Horokeu found himself wondering idly whether his master was locked up in a coffin at the moment, eyes closed in that deep sleep that was not death, the kind he often read about in horror novels.

He shifted slightly and instantly became aware of two things: firstly, despite Ren's tenderness and the fact that they had done this many times, he was still feeling slightly uncomfortable and sore; and secondly, the expensive silk of the mattress had been thoroughly ruined by their substance. Sighing softly, he swung his legs over the bed and got to his feet, and was just about to begin searching for something to clean himself up with when the door opened.

Horokeu hissed in surprise, scrambling back and ducking behind the changing screen in an attempt to save his innocence. From behind the protection of the screen, he heard a familiar laugh.

"Still shy?" Yoh's voice said, having not lost a bit of its carefree quality. "I thought I told you that doesn't get you anywhere here. And apparently you and Ren-sama certainly got _somewhere_ this morning, judging from the mattress." And he laughed again.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" Horokeu stammered, face red, half-inclined to go out and beat the shit out of Yoh for scaring him like that.

He could almost see the other slave shrug. "Thought you might want to clean up," he said, "So I brought you some things. Now are you gonna come out from behind there yourself or am I gonna have to drag you out?"

Slowly, hesitantly, the Ainu stepped out from behind the changing screen, getting his first good look at Yoh who was standing at the foot of the bed. The other slave was wearing a simple T-shirt and a pair of shorts, and Horokeu immediately recognized signs of his time with Hao: a red scar here, a bruise there, yet Yoh's face still held that cheerful, carefree expression.

"See now," he said, smiling encouragingly at the Ainu, "That wasn't so bad, was it?" He set the basin of water and the washcloth he had been holding onto the nearby table and gave Horokeu a quick once-over. "Looks like Ren-sama was pretty gentle with you. Better enjoy it while you can." He winked. "As for the mattress, I'd suggest you change it sometime today before Ren-sama and the others awaken; I'm pretty sure Ren-sama wouldn't like seeing his bed soiled like that." He nodded at the basin then. "I'm pretty sure you can take care of yourself, so I'll just leave this here. Use it for basic cleanup so you don't feel all dirty and sticky and stuff, and if you want to shower, search these quarters. I've never bothered exploring them, but I'm sure Ren-sama'll have a decent bathroom in here somewhere. If not, there's a nice one in our room."

He turned from Horokeu then and headed for the door, but stopped before exiting and turned briefly. "By the way," he said, "Did Ren-sama let you undress him yet?"

Horokeu blushed. "N-No…"

"Oh." Yoh shrugged. "Okay."

The Ainu blinked. "Why'd you ask?"

Again Yoh shrugged. "Just something I heard from Lyserg-sama a while back," he said. "Said something about it being kind of disturbing. He never went into detail though, and I've always been curious. You'll tell me when you get the chance?"

"Uh…" Horokeu thought it over briefly. "That depends, I guess, on how disturbing it really turns out to be."

At this, the other slave broke into a warm smile. "Now you're talking," he said. "_That's_ the way to do it. Never give away your master's secrets without some thought. You're learning fast, Horokeu." He turned to leave, but once again stopped and turned back. "Hey…did you ever ask Ren-sama about the letters? Remember, when you asked me about writing your family?"

Horokeu gaped at him; he had completely forgotten. "Oh, I…er…"

Yoh laughed. "That's all right," he said. "Actually I didn't expect you to remember, especially with the sort of distraction you had." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Why don't you write something today and ask Ren-sama to postmark it for you later? I'll let you find paper and pen on your own; you need to get to know this place better if you're going to be serving Ren-sama for any prolonged period of time." He yawned and stretched a bit, wincing slightly; Horokeu could see it. "I'm going to go make lunch," he said. "Feel free to join me later if you want."

Horokeu nodded. "Thanks." Yoh walked out.

* * *

It took only a few minutes with the washcloth and the water for Horokeu to feel clean enough to explore the rest of Ren's quarters. He had already seen the shrine room and so he turned his attention instead to the thin wooden door on the left wall he had noticed the previous night but had decided to investigate at a later time. This door, to his surprise and delight, led to a very spacious, very modern, and very luxurious bathroom with a large gold-lined bathtub, a roomy shower, and a sink in a marble counter, among other things. 

With the bathroom in mind, Horokeu hurried to Ren's armoire, opening it and making a hasty selection before heading back to shower. Feeling quite refreshed, he then set about picking up the clothes he had scattered the previous night and folding them neatly. When that was finished, he managed to turn the mattress over and change the sheets with some difficulty, gathering the rose petals and stuffing them back into the plastic bag, knowing that he would have to throw them all out anyway. Clutching the bag and the folded black clothing, he then stepped out into the dimly-lighted hallway.

Here he was stricken with a dilemma. Yoh had told him that he needed to know his way around the mansion, but the truth was that he had absolutely no idea where to go; he had even forgotten which direction Hao's room was in. For an instant he stood there outside Ren's room, utterly confused, before, as on so many other occasions, his nose came to his rescue. The tempting smell of food wafting in through the hallway immediately drew his attention and he turned, following the scent down several hallways and flights of stairs before he eventually found himself standing just inside the entrance to the large kitchen, in which Yoh was currently standing poised at the stove, carefully adjusting the burner under a steaming pot. The dark-haired slave, sensing his presence, turned and gave him a warm smile.

"Not bad," he said. "I thought you'd surely get lost the first time."

"I have a good nose," Horokeu said.

Yoh laughed at this. "If you're looking for the trash, just grab a bag from under the counter there and stuff it in. Hao-sama or Ren-sama'll burn it later. You understand that they don't have to worry much about trash because they don't really use anything."

Horokeu nodded, opening one of the drawers beneath the sink and pulling out a trash bag. "What're you making?"

Yoh shrugged. "To tell you the truth…I don't have a clue." He laughed, as did Horokeu. "Smells good though," he said. "Let's just pray it tastes just as nice."

"Yeah," Horokeu said with a smile. "Pray." He lifted the trash bag, but lost his hold and it tipped, sending all the contents spilling onto the floor. Horokeu's reaction was almost reflexive. "Aw, damnit."

"Hey!" He jumped at Yoh's outburst and looked up to see the other slave glaring at him. "Slaves don't curse," Yoh said. "In fact, no one curses here."

Horokeu blinked. "But—"

"Remember that," Yoh interrupted, face serious. "You're really lucky I'm the only one who heard you, 'cause Ren-sama would most surely have taken your head off for that, and if he didn't, Hao-sama would. No one curses here, not even Hao-sama."

"Why not?"

"Because we're noble," Yoh said without hesitation. "We're better than those thugs out there who swear in every sentence. We're higher than they are…which is why they are killed and we aren't." He paused. "Besides, remember that Hao-sama and the others came from old societies where respect and reverence in speech were important. Be careful; if you say something wrong, it could cost you. A lot."

Very slowly, Horokeu nodded. "Got it."

At this, Yoh smiled, his face reverting to its usual carefree expression. "Good," he said. "I won't say anything, don't worry. You're still learning, after all." He carefully lifted the lid of the pot a bit, peeking underneath at the contents within before closing it again and turning up the burner. "Might as well outline a few other rules for you so you don't get punished because of ignorance," he said. "Here're the basics. You don't curse, you don't talk back, you receive a blow and you turn the other cheek. You follow orders and you don't complain or try to resist. Oh, and here's another big one: you don't cry." He paused. "Well, not unless you're in bed and your master wants you to. That's one exception."

"I see." By now Horokeu had gotten all the trash back into the bag and was dragging it to the corner of the kitchen. When he had finished, he suddenly remembered the letter he was going to write to Pilika.

Behind him he heard Yoh laugh. "Still haven't gotten around to it?" the other slave asked, smiling at him from the stove.

Horokeu blinked. "Huh?" Suddenly he realized that he had spoken his thoughts aloud. "Oh. Yeah."

Yoh shrugged. "Well, like I said, I'm not gonna help you there," he said, and peered under the lid again. "Looks like this'll be ready in about twenty minutes. Go see if you can't find your way to the library, at least."

The Ainu nodded, rising and heading for the open door. "Twenty minutes?"

"Twenty minutes," Yoh agreed. "Just follow your nose."

"Sure." And Horokeu walked out. Twenty minutes was more than enough time for a hot bath.

* * *

To say that the mansion was large would be an understatement. Indeed, Horokeu felt that he had been walking for several miles as he turned down yet another hallway, finding himself facing yet another flight of stairs. Trudging slowly up, he sighed softly to himself. He had already passed several rooms: a drawing room, a recreation room, several completely empty rooms, and a room he suspected Faust and Eliza shared. This area of the house, somewhere in the east wing being the best guess Horokeu could make, was the only section he had not as of yet explored. Why Hao had taken a liking to such a Western-style house, Horokeu had no idea. 

The Ainu blinked when he finally topped the stairs. A single hallway opened up before him, dark and bare on both sides and ending in two large double doors that towered at easily two or three times his height. Curious, he walked resolutely forward and tried the massive doorknob; finding the doors unlocked, he pushed them open with all his might, and smiled when he saw what was inside.

The library was very vast, book-stuffed shelves rising to the very ceiling. About half of the shelves were filled with regular hard-bound books, while the other half consisted of at least several hundred old-fashioned scrolls, some containing Japanese script so old he could not read them. Horokeu was stunned when he found even a large stone slab and a pounded metal sheet inscribed with rough characters; artifacts like these had not existed since the sixth century1, and had to be worth at least several million dollars if not more. Horokeu wondered absently how Hao, who had lived four hundred years after these artifacts had been created, had come to have these in his possession. He decided it was a mystery best left alone.

Turning, he made his way to one of the large oak desks near the middle of the library and, digging through the drawers, soon found a sheet of thin cotton paper and a pen. Glancing up briefly at the clock on the wall that read 12:35, he set pen to paper and began to write.

_Dear Pilika,_

_I know you're probably worried about me, but you don't have to be. I'm all right; nothing bad has happened,_

Here he paused, on the verge of writing, "at least not yet." However, his mind clicked and whispered to him that it was best not to be so frank in the letter, especially if Ren would feel inclined to read it first, and so he carefully blotted out the comma and replaced it with a period before continuing.

_Don't call the police or anything because I am perfectly safe and healthy. I can't tell you where I am right now, but it has something to do with the person who's been sending us those gifts, and he's obviously a good guy so don't worry. I won't say very much in this letter, but I'll just tell you to keep going to work and taking care of the apartment. Act like everything's normal, because it _is_ normal. I'll write you again as soon as I can._

_Horokeu_

He sat back to peruse his handiwork. Not too much revealed and not too little; just right, and he smiled slightly as he fished an envelope out of the desk drawer, folded the letter, inserted it, and sealed everything up. Tucking the envelope inside his jacket pocket, he got up and headed for the door, even whistling a bit as he walked out into the hallway and toward the stairs.

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful for Horokeu, spent mostly helping Yoh tidy up the mansion and exploring the vast number of rooms. To Horokeu's dismay, there were no exits; Yoh had been correct in saying that slaves were not allowed to leave the house. All of the windows and outer doors were locked and bolted, and though the back door of the house led to a spectacular yard with a magnificent garden of vivid flowers and beautiful water fountains, the entire area was surrounded by an iron fence that stretched at least several meters into the air. Horokeu did not let this imprisonment bother him though; the familiarity of the letter for Pilika in his pocket reminded him that he was not alone. 

The setting afternoon sun found Horokeu once again in the library, carefully examining one of the scrolls he had managed to pull down from the lower layer of a nearby bookshelf. Frowning slightly, he unrolled the scroll even further and had just finished about half of the document when the door opened and Yoh walked in. The other slave smiled when he saw the Ainu bent over the table, perusing the scroll.

"What're you doing?" he asked, coming up to stand beside Horokeu.

The Ainu shook his head slowly. "I wish I knew," he said. "The content is rather confusing, probably because it's so old."

Peering over the blue-haired slave's shoulder, Yoh blinked. "Well, this makes absolutely no sense," he said. "I can read the katakana perfectly fine, but the words don't seem to fit together. It's a mess."

Horokeu laughed at this. "That's because it's not Japanese," he said. "It's Ainu2."

"Oh." Yoh blinked. "So you can read it?" He sounded impressed.

Again Horokeu laughed. "Well, I can't take pride in my heritage without learning something about our language," he said. "My parents both spoke it pretty well, but my sister and I didn't pick up that much. I had to take classes, and even then I'm not completely fluent…probably because I slept during lessons most of the time." He shrugged, tapping the scroll lightly. "It's not like it matters much anyway. This thing just talks about government and rules and something or other. Boring, but it was good for killing time."

"Hm." Yoh took the scroll from him, rolling it up and replacing it on the shelf. "Well, as much as I'd like to let you stay here and continue getting in touch with your roots, Hao-sama and the others will be up soon." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the clock on the wall. "Come on," he said, seizing Horokeu's wrist and pulling him toward the open door. "If we're late, they'll be angry."

Horokeu followed without a word, but could not hold back his surprise when Yoh stopped at the corner of the living room next to a large shelf filled with worn books.

"They sleep here?" the Ainu asked, blinking at his surroundings. "Where are the…you know…"

"Coffins?" Yoh asked, and smiled. "Honestly, Horokeu, you really think vampires are stupid enough to keep their coffins out in the open like this?" Bracing himself against the shelf, he pushed and heaved for several minutes, finally moving it aside enough for Horokeu to glimpse a small trapdoor underneath with a plain wooden handle.

The Ainu blinked. "And that leads…?"

"Into the basement," Yoh finished for him. "We're not allowed in there though. We're not even allowed to open the door."

"Then how do they get out?"

Yoh smiled. "You'll see."

The remaining bit of sun disappeared below the horizon, and gradually the last traces of light faded into the darkness of night. Complete and absolute silence settled into the room that was but dimly lit by a pair of lamps in the corner and an overhead light, and indeed the quiet was so intense that Horokeu could hear his own heartbeat echoing like a drum in his ears. To his left, he could even make out the soft rasps of Yoh's breathing.

Then another sound intruded on the silence, a hollow, distant _boom_, repeated several times. Then came the sighs, the soft hisses, and gradually Horokeu became aware of a dark, mist-like substance seeping through the cracks in and around the trapdoor, rising up before them and gradually taking human form. Hao was first, followed closely by Ren, Faust, Eliza and, lastly, Lyserg.

The leader of the vampires went instantly to Yoh, bending down to receive his welcome kiss, and then to Horokeu's surprise and horror he seized his slave by the shoulders and sank his teeth into his neck. He heard Yoh give a slight cry as the fangs broke through the only recently-mended scars.

He heard a low chuckle next to his ear and turned to see Ren standing quite close. The vampire smiled as he slipped an arm around Horokeu's waist. "Hao-sama always likes to snack when he wakes up," he said. "He says it makes the main course all the more enjoyable." He cocked his head a bit, running a cold finger tenderly down Horokeu's neck and over the two tiny red dots that marked Lyserg's attack from earlier. "Lyserg told me your blood was sweet," Ren remarked casually, but there was no mistaking the look in his golden eyes.

Watching Hao as he finally withdrew from Yoh, blood glistening on his lips, Horokeu swallowed nervously before finally closing his eyes and tilting his head slightly to the side, just enough to expose his neck for Ren. He heard Ren hiss softly in appreciation before strong arms wrapped around him, giving him support and indeed nearly lifting him off of the ground, and suddenly he felt a cold breath upon his neck an instant before a sting announcing the penetration.

He cried out involuntarily, not as much from pain as from surprise, but then suddenly he felt that familiar feeling of calming cold rush through his body in waves and instantly he relaxed. This was nothing like Lyserg's attack; now he was calm, he was collected, he felt _safe_ knowing that it was Ren, _Ren_ was doing this. The initial pain disappeared almost immediately, replaced instead by a numbing, anesthetic feeling and he gripped his master's shoulders, feeling Ren's hand gently caressing his back as the feeding continued.

Suddenly, though, there came another sting that startled Horokeu so that he opened his eyes and found himself staring at Ren. The vampire was smiling, and Horokeu blinked when he noticed the thin lines of blood running down from his full lips. Could that be…

His hand almost involuntarily snaked up to his neck, touching an area that was now throbbing a bit, and he pulled it back to see his fingers stained lightly with blood. Ren smiled when he saw the surprised and slightly frightened look that came over his slave's face.

"There's no need to worry, my dear Horokeu," he said, gently caressing the Ainu's cheek. "I took very little. You'll be fine." He paused, tongue flicking out to lap up the last few drops of blood still clinging to his lips. "Lyserg was right; it is very sweet."

Horokeu was kept from replying when Hao spoke up. "Ren," he said, and both Ainu and vampire turned to see him watching them with a smile, an arm slung carelessly over Yoh's shoulder. "If you're done with the appetizer, Faust didn't get his fill last night."

Lyserg sighed. "This is really a problem, if you don't mind my saying, Hao-sama," he said. "Why must we guard Yoh and Horokeu every night like this? It's inconvenient."

Hao frowned slightly. "Jeanne's search for this place has intensified of late," he said. "I believe she thinks she can gain an advantage if she discovers our…hideout, I suppose." He winked. "Of course, she doesn't realize that I discovered the whereabouts of her own hideout many years ago."

"Even if Jeanne is searching for this place," Lyserg continued, "why is it so important that we guard it?"

"To protect the slaves, of course," Hao said. "Come now, Lyserg. What if Jeanne _did_ discover this place? Sure, she might just turn around, go back, and gloat on her supposed victory…but then again, she might break in and kill Yoh and Horokeu. And we wouldn't want that, now would we, Ren?"

Horokeu felt Ren's hold around his waist tighten a bit, but the golden-eyed vampire made no response. Hao smiled before turning back to Lyserg. "You see, Lyserg?" he said, bringing Yoh closer to him. "We value our slaves. Perhaps once you obtain one of your own, you'll come to understand our point of view."

When the British vampire made no response, Hao turned from him to face the rest of his companions. "Well then," he said, "Now that everything's been cleared up, we'll have an early hunt tonight to see if we can't get the choicer prey before the X-Laws show up. Lyserg, you're staying tonight. I trust you don't have any objections?"

Lyserg lowered his eyes to the floor. "Of course not, Hao-sama," he said.

"Very good." Hao turned to the rest of the vampires. "Shall we?"

Ren turned to Horokeu, gently touching the side of his neck where he had been bitten. "These heal fast," he said, "So just splash it with water. I'll be back." As he stepped away from his slave, he turned to his child, raising his voice a bit. "I'll take some extra for you," he said.

Lyserg smiled, bowing slightly. "Thank you, Ren-sama." With that, the vampires vanished into the night.

For a moment silence reigned over the three remaining occupants in the room. At long last, however, Yoh shifted and turned to Lyserg, bowing respectfully. "Is there anything you would like me to do for you, Lyserg-sama?" he asked, pausing a bit before adding with a smile, "Within Hao-sama's limits, of course."

Lyserg smiled. "You know I'm not very demanding, Yoh," he said. "Do as you please. I won't bother you." Yoh smiled and retreated, but Lyserg blinked when Horokeu did not do the same. "Do you need something, Horokeu?" he asked.

The Ainu shifted slightly, a telltale sign of nervousness. "Anou…Lyserg-sama, may I ask you something?"

The vampire smiled again, softly, reassuringly. "Certainly."

Horokeu swallowed. "You and Master…you were lovers once, weren't you?"

"Of course," Lyserg answered, quickly and without hesitation. "How else would we have come to know each other?"

"And…" Horokeu's voice almost involuntarily reduced itself in volume and pitch. "And do you…I mean, does he…"

"Do we still love each other, you mean?" Lyserg asked, and he smiled, walking slowly up to Horokeu and taking the human's chin firmly in his hand, tilting the Ainu's head up so that he was forced to make eye contact. "Horokeu, here's something you should learn," he said. "It's a basic truth of the underworld that you have now entered. Love is a complicated yet extremely simple thing. I love Ren-sama, just as I love Faust-san, and Eliza-san, and Hao-sama. And Ren-sama loves all of us in the same way.

"But the real love, the true love that you read about in those novels, the head-over-heels and soulmates-forever love…that, I believe, is rather hard for Ren-sama. I've found it with Marco; Hao-sama, I'm pretty certain, has found it with Yoh; Faust-san found it long ago with Eliza-san. But Ren-sama has just been drifting. All these years…he took lovers and slaves and everything else, but in the end, they never satisfied him and he just moved on."

Horokeu blinked, feeling sudden tears rush to his eyes. "You mean…when I—when I no longer _satisfy_ Master…"

"Hm? Oh, no!" Lyserg straightened, realizing his mistake. "No, that wasn't what I meant at all!" He placed an assuring hand on Horokeu's shoulder. "All I'm saying is that Ren-sama hasn't found his true soulmate yet. You have just as good of a chance with him as the others." He winked. "Let me give you some tips," he said. "White roses. Incense and aromatic candles. And he especially likes it if you wear a trench coat. A black trench coat. And _only_ a black trench coat." Leaving the slave, who was now blushing bright red, Lyserg smiled and walked out of the room.

* * *

About an hour later, Horokeu found himself back in the library, browsing a collection of Japanese folk tales. He had barely finished the first story when the door opened and Yoh poked his head inside. "They're back," he said.

Horokeu nodded slowly, replacing the book on the shelf and following the other slave down hallways and stairs, finally arriving in the living room. Here Yoh made his way immediately across the room and into Hao's waiting arms, but Horokeu stayed just inside the doorway, staring in shock at the scene before him.

Ren was standing in the middle of the room, looking amazingly small in his long black shirt and loose pants, and Lyserg was holding him, one arm encircling his waist tightly and the other hand running up and down his back. Fangs embedded in his creator's neck, Lyserg currently had his eyes closed and his body was rocking rhythmically against Ren's as his Adam's apple moved swiftly up and down with every sweet swallow. But it was not Lyserg's actions that so bothered Horokeu; it was Ren's own reaction. Though his back was currently turned to Horokeu, the Ainu could clearly see his hands roaming freely over Lyserg's body, touching and caressing everywhere, and he rocked smoothly in sync with his child, low gutteral moans occasionally escaping his lips.

Horokeu found himself biting his lip hard enough to draw blood as he witnessed this heady and so openly sexual scene, and he had just taken an involuntarily step back when he felt a strong and ice-cold hand grip his shoulder, stopping him. Looking up, he blinked when he saw Faust looking down at him, smiling at him in that same fatherly way.

"Don't act so shocked," the vampire whispered, one arm encircling his wife. "Exchanging blood with another vampire is an exhilarating experience. Had Ren-san been giving blood to me or to Eliza or to Hao-sama, it would be the same." He turned, pointing. "See now. Your master isn't betraying you."

Horokeu looked over just in time to see Ren disengage Lyserg, pushing him away rather roughly so that he stumbled a bit before regaining his footing, his face flushed from the feast and blood dribbling down his chin.

"Enough," Ren said, taking several deep breaths and gently touching his neck, though the wound had already healed. "Control yourself, Lyserg."

Lyserg dabbed at the blood on his face, bowing. "My apologies, Ren-sama." His eyes shifted from Ren to Horokeu still watching them from the doorway. "And my apologies to you, Horokeu." Turning, he walked out.

For a moment Horokeu stayed where he was, staring at Ren who was now watching him with blank golden eyes. At long last, though, he felt Faust give him a light push forward. "Don't just stand there," he said, voice stern.

Horokeu forced himself forward, coming to a stop before Ren and bowing. "Is…Is there anything I can—"

"It's not what you think."

He looked up, stunned. Ren's face was unreadable, but Horokeu detected a flicker of emotion in his eyes. "It's…It's not." He spoke as if it took him a great effort to say the words. "You…won't be hurt by this, right?"

Horokeu had never seen the vampire so uncertain, but his answer was quick. "Of course not, Master," he said. "I trust you."

There was a pause. Then, in a strong, cold voice: "Fetch some cleaner and towels and bring them to my room," he said. "I want to have my calligraphy table polished." With that he turned, walking past Faust and Eliza and disappearing into the hallway beyond.

For a moment Horokeu stood where Ren had left him, shocked by his master's sudden change in attitude, but Faust's voice brought him back to the moment. "You heard him, Horokeu," Faust said, speaking much as a father might to a disobedient son. "Slaves follow their masters' orders. Go." The Ainu hurried toward the kitchen.

A minute later, he found himself once again standing outside Ren's closed bedroom doors. Taking a deep breath and transferring the bottle of cleaner and the roll of towels to his right hand, he turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Walking inside, he jumped and nearly dropped his burden when a pair of bright golden eyes turned in his direction. "M-Master."

"Careful," Ren said, voice even. "I don't want that stuff dirtying my floor." He nodded toward the calligraphy table. "Get to work."

Horokeu nodded. "Yes, Master." He walked across the room and had just set the things onto the table when he suddenly felt Ren's hand on his shoulder. Then he felt the vampire's other hand slip into his jacket pocket, pulling the envelope with Pilika's letter out.

"What's this?" came Ren's voice from behind him, so close that Horokeu could feel the other's cool breath on his neck.

"Looks like a letter," the vampire continued casually, and with his other hand he flipped Horokeu around to face him, dangling the letter before his face. "What's this for, slave?"

Horokeu swallowed, not liking the dangerous glint in Ren's eyes. "It's—It's only a note, Master," he whispered, voice trembling slightly. "F-For my sister…I just wanted to, you know, tell her I was okay and stuff…"

"Oh?" Ren cocked a slim eyebrow. "And how exactly were you planning to mail this letter? You've probably tried all of the doors and windows; Hao-sama keeps them locked for a reason."

Horokeu's eyes dropped to the floor, though he did not know why. "I-I…well, Yoh said that…that maybe you could…"

"Mail it for you?" Ren finished for him. Horokeu made no response, and there was a pause before he suddenly heard the sound of tearing paper. Snapping his head up, he stared in shock as Ren finished slitting open the envelope with one sharp nail, pulling out the letter, unfolding it, and reading it. Horokeu felt something twist inside of him, some pride, some feeling that took offense at Ren so blatantly violating his privacy. Did his master have no respect for him at all?

Ren finished reading and lowered the letter. For a moment he simply looked at Horokeu, his eyes betraying nothing, and the Ainu felt himself tremble with both fear and anticipation.

Then Ren turned from him, walking over to the calligraphy desk, pulling open one of the drawers, and taking out a fresh envelope. He folded the letter, inserted it carefully inside, and sealed it before taking up a pen and walking back over to Horokeu.

"Tell your sister that, if she wishes to write back to you, she can leave her letter on the doorstep where she finds her daily gifts," he said. "I can't reveal the address of this house to her, so I'll pick it up for you when I drop off packages."

For a moment Horokeu could find no words to say. Ren raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather I not give her the letter…?"

"What?" Horokeu blinked, quickly reaching out and taking the offered envelope and pen. "N-No, Master. Of course not." He scribbled hastily across the paper before handing the envelope back to the vampire, who took it and allowed it to drop into one of his deep pockets.

"Very good," Ren said, turning from him and walking over to the armoire. He reached into one of the lower drawers, picking indecisively about for a moment before finally extracting a large velvet box in which rested a thick gold bracelet. Snapping the box shut, he dropped that into his pocket as well and headed for the door. "I want that table polished by the time I get back," he said.

"Yes, Master." Horokeu straightened, facing Ren's retreating back. "Th…Thank you."

The vampire stopped halfway out the door, pausing for a moment as if uncertain. He did not turn as he replied, "You told me earlier that you trusted me. That in itself deserves a reward." Then he was gone.

To Be Continued?

* * *

1 The oldest excavated Japanese writing occurs on a bronze mirror from the Wakayama Prefecture and on a bronze sword from the Inariyama Tomb in the Saitama Prefecture, both dating back to the sixth century or before. 

2 The Ainu language, now almost exclusively isolated in the northern regions of Hokkaido, is almost extinct. The exact number of native speakers is unknown but has been estimated at only around 1,000, and there are two ways to write it: in Japanese katakana or with a Latin-based alphabet.

* * *

**A/N: **Again, apologies. Feel free to email me if you want to take up this story's continuation. 


End file.
